Law enforcement from the Harrison Police Department and others across the state will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-year “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.
Beginning Dec. 1, 2023 and continuing through Jan. 1, 2024, local, county and state law enforcement will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort endeavors to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.
“During the last five years New Jersey has experienced more than 33,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in 662 fatalities,” Harrison police Lt. Daniel McChesney said. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when social gatherings with alcohol increase the risk of impaired driving.”
Last year, 31% of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 13,384 people died in 2021 in drunken-driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2022 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:
Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
If you are 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 or escort you to your doorstep.
Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.