The following information was provided by the Cherry Hill Police Department.
Law enforcement officers from the Cherry Hill Police Department will be conducting extra patrols looking for drunk drivers as part of the holiday season statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
This effort will begin Dec. 7 and run through Jan. 2.
CHPD’s efforts will coincide with other local and state law enforcement officers who will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs.
Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.
Last year in New Jersey, 52 people were killed as a result of alcohol-impaired crashes.
That number represents 24 percent of the total number of fatalities for the entire year.
Impaired driving increases significantly during this time of the year; this initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving, as well as to the grave danger impaired drivers pose to other motorists.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2012 initiative 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 911 or #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 have a sober friend or family member drive you to home.
