The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Somerset County law enforcement officials will once again participate in the annual “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” campaign now through January 1, 2020.
During that time, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated, according to a joint press release issued by the Somerset and Hunterdon county prosecutors’ offices.
The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort endeavors to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education, according to the press release.
“During the last five years, New Jersey has experienced nearly 37,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in more than 679 fatalities,” Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said in the release. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when social gatherings with alcohol increase the risk of impaired driving.”
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:
- Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
- Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
- Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
- If you are 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.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
Anyone witnessing an impaired driver is asked to dial 9-1-1 or your local law enforcement agency.
