Wall Police To Crack Down On Drunk Driving

Wall Township Police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the summer 2011 statewide “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign, township police said Tuesday. 

Beginning August 19 and running through September 5, local and state police will conduct sobriety checkpoints, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated, according to a release.

A concentrated national effort, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs, the release said.

Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including the summer months.

“Many people believe that after just a few drinks, they’re safe to drive,” Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the division of highway traffic safety, said in the release.  “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”  

As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign, the release said.

In 2009 in New Jersey, 149 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes. That number represents 25 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state that year, according to the release.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest 2011 crackdown offer the following advice:

• If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.
• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.  In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle.  It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• 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 you to your doorstep.