Newton Police Join 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' Campaign

Starting August 15, the will join more than 120 Massachusetts law enforcement agencies in cracking down on impaired driving as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

According to a press release issued by the Newton Police, the mobilization is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD). 

Newton Police will be "aggressively" looking for impaired drivers, the press release said, and will focus during high-risk times including weekends and nighttime hours.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life. Because we’re committed to highway safety, we are intensifying enforcement during the crackdown. Since twice as many alcohol-impaired crashes occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” Newton Police Chief Matthew Cummings said in the press release.

According to the press release, 115 people died in 2010 due to impaired driving-related crashes in Massachusetts. That year, an additional 2,750 personal injury and property damage incidents in Massachusetts were related to impaired driving crashes.

In 2012, a total of 14,653 impaired arrests were made in Massachusetts, the press release said.

"Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” Cummings said. “Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life.”

A full press release from the Newton Police Department is included below:

Chief Mathew A. Cummings announces that we will join 128 other law enforcement agencies statewide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving from August 15 to September 3 as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization, funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD).

Impaired driving is one of America’s most often committed and deadliest crimes. In 2010, 115 people died in impaired driving related crashes in the Commonwealth. Moreover, there were an additional 2,750 impaired driving related personal injury and property damage crashes and almost 14,635 impaired driving arrests.

On average, there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America. The number of drivers operating under the influence increases during holiday weekends, especially during summer holidays.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life. Because we’re committed to highway safety, we are intensifying enforcement during the crackdown. Since twice as many alcohol-impaired crashes occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” said Chief Cummings.

Cummings said his officers will be aggressively looking for all impaired drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone they find driving while impaired — regardless of age, vehicle type or time of day.

“Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” said Chief Cummings “Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life.”

According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, violators often face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. All told, a first offense can easily cost well over $5000. Driving impaired is simply not worth all the consequences. Remember, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.