'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' Campaign This Week

Madison police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of a summer “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, beginning Friday and and running through Sept. 3, the announced Monday.

Local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated, the announcement says.

The campaign is part of a national effort to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey to run the two-week campaign.

It launched nationally in 1999, and works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including Labor Day Weekend.

“Many people believe that after a few drinks they’re still safe to drive,” said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.  “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”  

Alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 20 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities in 2010, the announcement says.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2012 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 taxi 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 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle.  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 you to your doorstep.