Drunk Driving Enforcement Part of Statewide Campaign

by Walter O’Brien on Nov 29th (Raritan Township) – Law enforcement officers from Raritan Township will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the annual holiday season “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” statewide campaign.

Beginning December 6, 2010 and running through January 2, 2011, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps 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 nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year. Last year in New Jersey, 185 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes.

That number represents 31 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2009. Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest Holiday Crackdown campaign offer the following advice:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, 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 on their cell phones to report a drunk driver.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. 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 or escort you to your doorstep.

Motorists are also asked to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers: Drive sober, be a designated driver and don’t let friends drive drunk.

Under the effort, local businesses and community groups, law enforcement agencies, and schools work together to keep drunk drivers off the road. Started in New Jersey by the Elliot family following the tragic death of their son, John, in a head –on collision with a drunk driver, the campaign has become a national model for preventing drunk driving. Submitted by Raritan Township Police Department