NORTH BERGEN – Law enforcement officials from North Bergen will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2014 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign. Beginning Aug. 15 and running through Sept. 1, local and state law enforcement officials will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
In 2013 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 22 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. The campaign is a concentrated national effort 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.
As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign. North Bergen received a $5,000 grant to assist in enforcing the crackdown.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” 2014 crackdown offer the following advice:
• If you plan to drink, designate a driver – someone who will not drink alcohol – before going out.
• 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.
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