LINDEN, NJ — Law enforcement officials from Linden 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. Through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
In an effort to make the roads safer and reduce crashes attributed to driving under the influence, the Linden Police Department set up a sobriety checkpoint on West St. Georges Avenue on the first night of the campaign, Friday, Dec. 2.
The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort endeavors to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.
“During the last five years New Jersey has experienced more than 33,000 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in 662 fatalities,” said Police Chief David Hart. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives, especially in light of recent dramatic increases in motor vehicle fatality rates both nationally and in New Jersey.”
Last year, 23 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol related. Nationally, 11,654 people died in 2020 in drunken-driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” 2022 crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:
• Take mass transit, a taxicab or rideshare, 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 or using drugs, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
Photo Courtesy of Christopher Guenther