Impaired driving crackdown to be conducted locally

Law enforcement officers from local departments, including the Eatontown Police Department and Oceanport Police Department, will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2013 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Through September 2, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated. “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 and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched across the U.S. in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including the Labor Day holiday period.  “Recent surveys indicate that many people harbor the dangerous belief that after a few drinks they’re still safe to drive,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.  “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”    In 2012 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 19 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign. Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2013 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.  • Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.  In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk or aggressive driver. • 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.