KEARNY —
Police agencies around New Jersey — including in Kearny — are gearing up for the state’s largest annual drunken-driving crackdown.
The 2017 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide Labor Day crackdown began Aug. 18 and concludes Sept. 4.
During the campaign, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols targeting motorists who may be driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement backed up by educational activities including national radio and television advertisements, posters, banners and mobile video display signs. The campaign looks to curtail impaired driving during the busy summer travel season, including the Labor Day holiday period.
“Despite years of enforcement and public awareness efforts, too many people still make the unfortunate decision to get behind the wheel while impaired. Nearly 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey are alcohol related,” said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the N.J. Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “This is a zero-tolerance campaign. If drivers are caught operating their vehicle while impaired, they will be arrested.”
As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local police agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign. During last year’s crackdown, participating agencies made 1,649 drunken-driving arrests.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2017 crackdown offer the following advice:
• If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.
• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
If you’re intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive you to your doorstep.
