Bloomfield Cops Cracking Down on Drunk Driving

Enjoying a couple of beers at a late summer barbecue? Don’t get behind the wheel afterwards.

Bloomfield cops will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the annual end of summer “Drive Sober or get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.

Bloomfield Police Chief Christopher Goul announced that From Aug. 16 through Sept. 2, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

The campaign aims to spotlight the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.

“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” Bloomfield Traffic Commander Lt. Rocco said. “This initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them.”

Last year in New Jersey, 152 people were killed as a result of alcohol-impaired crashes. That number represents 24 percent of the 627 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2012.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2013 Labor Day Crackdown offers the following advice:

• 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.

Bloomfield police asked motorists to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers: Drive sober, be a designated driver and don’t let friends drive drunk. 

Under the effort, local businesses and community groups, law enforcement agencies, and schools work together to keep drunk drivers off the road. Started in New Jersey by the Elliot family following the tragic death of their son, John, in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, the campaign has become a national model for preventing drunk driving.