Mahwah PD Will Have Extra DWI Patrols Thru Labor Day

MAHWAH, NJ– Mahwah police department is just one of many law enforcement agencies across the state that will be cracking down on drunken driving for the rest of the summer.

The Division of Highway Traffic Safety has announced grants totaling more than $540,000 that will be used by 104 local law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunk and impaired drivers as part of the national initiative, "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over."

Mahwah police secured a $5,500 grant this year to conduct extra enforcement.

Law enforcement agencies across New Jersey received funds to staff saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which runs from Aug. 16 through Sept. 3, according to a DHTS news release

More than 300 additional agencies, including the New Jersey State Police, are expected to join the annual statewide traffic safety effort aimed at reducing highway crashes.

Click here to see the full list of participating agencies.

Last year, law enforcement agencies statewide dedicated an estimated 6,200 total enforcement hours to the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, including 20 fixed sobriety checkpoints. During the 3-week initiative, more than 1,196 impaired driving arrests were made and an additional 4,764 speeding summonses and 3,194 seat belt citations were written.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the 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.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.