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Trenton
– Law enforcement officers throughout
the State will be working this St. Patrick’s
Day to keep intoxicated drivers off the
road, in an effort to protect all New Jersey
motorists from the tragedies associated
with drunk driving, Division of Highway
Traffic Safety Director Pam Fischer and
State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes
announced today.
“If
you’re planning a St. Patrick’s
Day celebration that includes alcohol, under
no circumstances should you get behind the
wheel of a car,” Fischer said. “Drunk
drivers are not only a danger to themselves,
but everyone on the road. There’s
simply no excuse for drinking and driving.
And anyone who chooses to take this senseless
risk will be stopped and arrested.”
“We
have a new cell phone law, a reduced speed
limit on the Garden State Parkway, and a
lower alcohol threshold, but laws don’t
drive cars,” said Colonel Fuentes.
“And even though New Jersey is coming
off a 20-year low for fatal crashes, it
only takes one holiday of bad driving decisions
to raise that number.”
Local, county and state law enforcement
will have stepped-up patrols throughout
New Jersey the weekend of March 14 through
the 17, as they look for drunk drivers.
In New Jersey during the past 10 years,
41 percent of fatal crashes (12 out of a
total of 29) occurring between 6 a.m. on
St. Patrick’s Day and 6 a.m. the following
day were alcohol or drug-related.
Additionally,
in 2006, 240 people were killed as a result
of alcohol-related crashes on New Jersey
highways. That number represents 31 percent
of the 774 traffic fatalities reported in
the State.
According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), during St. Patrick’s Day
2006, 44 percent of the 105 drivers and
motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes
had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08
or higher. Sixty-three percent of those
impaired drivers died in the crash.
Nationwide
in 2006, 42,642 people were killed in motor
vehicle crashes. Of that number, 13,470
individuals were killed in crashes that
involved at least one driver or motorcyclist
with a BAC of .08 or higher.
“The
potentially tragic consequences of drunk
driving are tremendous and reach far beyond
penalties and fines,” Fischer added.
“Behind these crash statistics are
families and friends trying to understand
this senseless loss of life.”
Motorists
are also asked this St. Patrick’s
Day to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign
John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated
Drivers: drive sober, be a designated driver
and don’t let your 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 Elliott
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.
Individuals
attending a St. Patrick’s Day celebration
are also reminded to:
- Use
mass transit, a cab or car service to
get you to and from your destination.
- Immediately
report drunk drivers you may see on the
roadways to law enforcement.
- Never
let a friend drive drunk. If you know
someone is about to drive while impaired,
take his or her keys and arrange for a
ride home.
Additional
information on drunk driving prevention
and enforcement programs is available on
the Division’s web site at www.njsaferoads.com.
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