According to the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety, impaired drivers on the nation’s roads kill someone every 30 minutes, totaling 50 people per day and almost 18,000 people per year.
With that sobering statistic, the Evesham Township Police Department will be participating in the NJDHTS’ 2014 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” year-end, statewide crackdown, starting on Dec. 5 and lasting through Jan. 2.
While participating in the campaign, the department will launch more sobriety checkpoints and increase its focus on pursuing and punishing those driving under the influence.
The department also has the full support of Mayor Randy Brown and the township council, as it recently received a proclamation at the latest town council meeting commending its participation in the crackdown.
In addition to the proclamation, the department also received several forceful words of encouragement from Brown for its efforts.
“Many of you know…how hard this council has come out against DUIs, to the point that last year we threw $50,000 more into the pot so we could have more DUI stops,” Brown said. “We are arguably the toughest place in the state of New Jersey when you decide to get behind the wheel while drinking and driving.”
According to the ETPD, the average DUI arrest costs a driver $10,000 through jail time, losing their license, higher insurance rates and multiple other expenses ranging from car towing and repairs, lost time at work, attorney fees, fines and court costs.
Chief Christopher Chew said intoxicated drivers are one of the leading causes of death in America, and wanted to tell residents the department has made stopping intoxicated drivers its №1 priority.
“We are out there every single night, every single day, out there being proactive, and if we can save one life, then it’s worth any dollars thrown our way from the mayor and council,” Chew said. “I just want to speak on behalf of the organization that when you’re sleeping, you can be safe knowing that our officers are out there being proactive.”
Brown also wanted to thank Chew for his leadership in deterring everyone from making what he called the “brutally bad” decision of getting behind the wheel and driving when having too much to drink.
“Chief, I appreciate your leadership,” Brown said. “You’ve already saved many lives by doing what we do here, and I know that you have council’s support financially to go ahead and pursue as many DUI drivers and get them off our roads.”
Brown also recounted from the year when he was first elected in July 2007 through July 2008, Evesham lost three residents all under the age of 18 because of drunk driving, yet not a single one of the teenage drivers was the individual who was intoxicated.
“It was so sobering being an elected official, being mayor of the town I grew up in, and to go to three funerals in my first year of mayor and console three families,” Brown said.
According to Brown, those deaths factored into his push for council to do more to prevent drunk driving, and since then, the numbers decreased in the township.
“I know factually it’s a much better place to live today,” Brown said.
