Carteret, NJ — The Carteret Police Department 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. Partial funding for the campaign will be paid for by the Federal Highway Safety Grant, which Carteret was awarded for this fiscal year.
“Alcohol-involved crashes claimed the lives of 700 people in New Jersey just last year,” said Carteret Police Deputy Chief Dennis McFadden. “With impaired driving traditionally increasing by 10% during the holiday season, this program will help save lives and make people think twice before driving under the influence.”
From December 7, 2018 through January 1, 2019, Carteret Police Officers will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints in the Borough looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated. The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort seeks to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.
More than 10,000 people die in America each year in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $37 billion annually.
The Carteret Police Department offers the following advice for the holiday season:
- Use Uber, Lyft, 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.
