State–funded roving police patrols targeting drug and alcohol-impaired drivers will be on Gloucester County roads from Dec. 8 through the end of the year, traditionally the festive time when impaired driving jumps up almost 10 percent. The patrols are part of a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign, using high-visibility enforcement and public education to raise awareness about driving under the influence.
“During the last five years, New Jersey has experienced nearly 40,000 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in more than 750 fatalities,” said Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore. “Drive Sober is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during this time of year.”
Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, the death toll from drunk driving exceeds 10,000 annually, with societal costs from these fatalities totaling $37 billion. In Gloucester County, sixteen municipal police departments will share in a $45,000 received from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to pay for extra patrols. Advice from law enforcement agencies participating in the campaign to those who are drinking and those who see them:
Use mass transit, a cab or have a sober friend drive; sleep over at the party host’s home; call police if you see an impaired driver on the road; buckle up, every ride and don’t let anyone you know take the wheel when drunk.
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