Drunken Driver Crackdown Starts Today

Burlington County Bridge Commission law enforcement officers will be cracking down on drunken drivers as part of the summer 2012 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign funded by a state grant program.  

The Burlington County Bridge Commission manages the Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol bridges.

Beginning today and running through Labor Day weekend, commission police will join local and state law enforcement officers conducting sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs.

Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunken driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including the Labor Day holiday period.

In 2010 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 20 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign. The Bridge Commission will use grant funds to cover overtime DUI patrols.

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 drunken or aggressive driver.
● Always buckle up, for 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.