Flemington Police Stepping Up DWI Patrols For The Rest Of 2019

FLEMINGTON, NJ — The Flemington Police Department is cracking down on impaired driving this holiday season as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

The department received a $1,980 grant, one of 129 New Jersey police departments to receive money as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown."

The national campaign begins Friday and ends Jan. 1, 2020. Local and state law enforcement will conduct additional patrols looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated or impaired. Local departments will use their grants to pay for officers' overtime hours.

Other Hunterdon County towns to receive a grant were: Clinton, Clinton Township, Frenchtown, High Bridge, Holland, Lambertville, Lebanon, Tewksbury, and West Amwell, so be on the lookout for extra patrols there too.

The national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" effort aims to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education, state officials say. (See related: These 129 NJ Towns Have Heavy DWI Patrols For Rest Of The Year)

Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 10,511 people died in 2018 in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually, state officials say.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown" offer the following advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It's your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are 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.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

— With reporting by Tom Davis, Patch staff

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com