Trenton
–Law enforcement agencies throughout
New Jersey will conduct DWI checkpoints and
saturation patrols as part of the annual “Over
the Limit, Under Arrest” summer
campaign, Division of Highway Traffic Safety
Director Pam Fischer announced today.
Beginning
August 21 and running through September 7,
a total of 236 local and county law enforcement
agencies, as well as the New Jersey State
Police, will be cracking down on drivers operating
their vehicles and motorcycles while intoxicated.
Designed to increase awareness about the dangers
of mixing alcohol with driving, the campaign
uses high-visibility police patrols and public
education materials, such as banners, posters
and mobile display signs to combat drunk driving
during the busy, end of summer travel season.
Under
this national effort, which was launched in
1999, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety
provides federally-funded grants in the amount
of $6,000 to participating police agencies
for the two-week program. However, all law
enforcement agencies are encouraged to participate
in the initiative.
“The
consequences of drunk driving are tragic and
can have a lasting impact,” Fischer
said. “There’s no excuse for
drinking and driving, and it simply won’t
be tolerated on New Jersey’s roads.”
Fischer
added that in 2008, 165 people were killed
as a result of alcohol-related crashes on
New Jersey’s highways, representing
approximately 28 percent of the 591 traffic
fatalities reported in the State.
According
to a 2009 Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind
Poll on driver behaviors, conducted in partnership
with the Division, one in five drivers, or
21 percent, said they have consumed alcohol
and then driven, up 6 percent from the previous
year. In addition, one in five drivers believe
they can have two drinks and safely drive,
while one in 10 say they can have three or
more drinks and still be okay to get behind
the wheel.
“Clearly,
many people still believe that after a few
drinks, they’re safe to drive,”
Fischer said. “Even one drink can
alter your judgment and reaction time behind
the wheel, putting not only yourself, but
everyone on the road, in danger.”
The
Division offers the following advice to ensure
a safe and enjoyable end of summer travel
season for all New Jerseyans and out-of-state
visitors:
-
If you’ve consumed alcohol, even just
one drink, take mass transit, a taxi or
ask a sober friend to drive you home. Or,
spend the night.
-
Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report
a drunk or aggressive 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 escort you safely to your doorstep.
-
Always buckle up, every ride, regardless
of your seating position in the vehicle.
It’s the best defense against an impaired
driver.
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
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.
A
list of towns receiving mobilization grants
is available on the Division’s web site,
at
www.nj.gov/oag/hts/downloads/OTLUA_08-2009_Grant_Recipients.pdf.
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