Holiday DWI Checkpoints Set In Union County

UNION COUNTY, NJ – It isn't just Santa drivers need to watch out for as 129 towns are enhancing their drunk driving patrols between now and the end of the year.

Law enforcement officials from throughout New Jersey will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-year "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" statewide campaign.

"During the last five years New Jersey has experienced nearly 37,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in more than 679 fatalities," said Capt. Robert Lokerson of the Point Pleasant Boro Police Department. "This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when social gatherings with alcohol increase the risk of impaired driving."

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.

In Union County, several communities were given a grant to assist in the efforts:

• Cranford: $5,500
• Summit: $5,500
• Plainfield: $5,500
• Elizabeth: $5,500
• Linden: $5,500
• Rahway: $5,500
• Roselle Park: $5,500

Patch previously reported on the complete list of communities statewide.

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.

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.

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