Somerset County Cops To Target Drunk Drivers For Thanksgiving Traffic Crackdown

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Officers in Somerset County will be cracking down on drunk driving this Thanksgiving holiday weekend as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) safety initiative.

NHTSA’s national Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving drunk-driving prevention campaign urges drivers to understand the importance of sober driving, and to help get drunk drivers off the road.

In New Jersey, it is illegal to drive with a BAC(blood alcohol content) of .08 g/dL or higher.

"Drinking and driving is a risk no one should take. Doing so can cause injury or death to the driver, passengers, and others on the road. The consequences of drunk driving could be life-altering," according to a release from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and Somerset County Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr. offered the following tips to have a safe celebration:

• Always drive 100 percent sober
• Plan ahead: Before you ever indulge, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until after to make this decision, you might not make the best one
• You have options to get home safely: Designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it.
• If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement
• If you have a friend who is about to drive impaired, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

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