BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Law enforcement officials from Bloomfield will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-summer “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign. Beginning Aug. 20 and continuing through Sept. 6, local and state law enforcement officials 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 35,000 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in 618 fatalities. This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives, especially in light of recent increased motor vehicle fatality rates both nationally and in New Jersey.
Last year, 23 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 10,142 people died in 2019 in drunken-driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually.
Participating law enforcement agencies offer the following advice:
- If you have been drinking, take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend to drive you home. Alternatively, consider spending 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; 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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