Hoboken to Crack Down on Drunk Driving

Hoboken is taking part of the holiday season's state-wide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, the city announced on Tuesday afternoon.

From now until Jan. 2, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct patrols and sobriety checkpoints to make sure nobody is driving while drunk.

The campaign is designed to help 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, the city announced Tuesday. The program was launched 1999 and 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," said Hoboken's Public Safety Director Jon Tooke. "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, 168 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes. That number represents 30 percent of the 556 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2010.

More tips from local law enforcement officials:

• 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.