Super Bowl Weekend Brings More DWI Patrols

The Gloucester Township Police Department promises to have its patrol officers out in force looking for drunken drivers this Super Bowl weekend.

And not just on Sunday night.

Dedicated driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) enforcement patrols will be in operation in Gloucester Township beginning Friday night and continuing through the postgame hours Sunday night.

This year's Super Bowl features the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

The last time the Giants played in the Super Bowl, in 2008, also against New England, police across New Jersey made 176 DWI arrests—the second-highest total in New Jersey for a Super Bowl Sunday, according to officials. The Feb. 3, 2008, game was followed by the last DWI-related traffic fatality in New Jersey on Super Bowl Sunday.

Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa offered anyone thinking of driving drunk following the Super Bowl this year a warning during a press conference in Hackensack Thursday morning.

"During the last (three) Super Bowls, with stepped-up patrols, there have not been any deaths due to drunken drivers on our roadways. Let’s continue that trend and ensure Sunday is a day remembered for Super Bowl glory, not tragedy," he said. "I urge fans who drink to have a sober designated driver to get them home safely.”

Mindful of what happened after the Feb. 3, 2008, Giants' Super Bowl win, state police are prepared to join local police departments in putting extra officers on the streets to seek out drunken drivers. At the Chiesa press conference Thursday, New Jersey State Police Col. Rick Fuentes noted an additional 100 state trooper DWI patrols will be on streets across the state.

New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Acting Director Gary Poedubicky offered the public some vital tips on how to enjoy the big game responsibly:

• Designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• Consider using a taxi cab or car service, or ask a sober family member or friend to come and get you, or spend the night where you are.
• Report impaired drivers in New Jersey by dialing #77. You’ll be asked to provide the location and a brief description of the vehicle.
• 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.