Beginning this weekend and running until September 1, state and local police will be aggressively targeting drunk drivers as part of a nationwide effort to end drunk driving and save lives.
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will pair increased public awareness with high-visibility enforcement, hopefully resulting in fewer drunk drivers on New Jersey roadways.
Drivers caught drunk-driving will be arrested, which often leads to jail time, loss of license and fines and legal expenses averaging $10,000.
According to the state police, someone is killed in a drunk-driving crash every 51 minutes across the nation. Over Labor Day Weekend, fatalities increase to every 34 minutes with the most dangerous time to drive is between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Young drivers are especially at risk as they are overrepresented in drunk-driving crashes. In 2012, nearly half of young drivers in accidents—48 percent—had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher. For drivers under 21, anything over .00 is illegal.
Colonel Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, says drunk-driving is inexcusable.
"We’re hoping that New Jersey drivers get the message and take some simple steps to prevent a tragedy," says Fuentes. "There is always another way home."
The New Jersey State Police encourage drivers to plan a sober ride home—whether it’s with a friend, taxi or other means of public transportation—in order to avoid a tragedy.
For more information, visit www.njsp.org.