The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will run through the end of the year to prevent impaired-driving
While the holiday season is often a time of festivities and celebration, it also sees a 10 percent increase in impaired driving incidents, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. This year, Harrison Township will have increased DUI enforcement patrols to prevent drug and alcohol-impaired driving through New Year’s Day.
Harrison Township was one of 16 municipal police departments in Gloucester County to receive a share of the $45,000 grant distributed by the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety as part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2017 Year-End Holiday Impaired Driving Crackdown” campaign. According to Lt. Ronald Cundey, the funding allows the Harrison Township Police Department to schedule additional shifts through Jan. 1, to focus solely on traffic infractions, with added focus on “locating and removing impaired drivers from the roadways.”
“In regard to the holiday season, we see more people on the road traveling to visit family, go shopping or attend holiday gatherings,” Cundey said. “With the uptick in vehicles on the roadway, the additional resources provide us with greater chances in being successful in removing impaired drivers from the roadways.”
According to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, more than 10,000 people die annually in the U.S. as a result of impaired driving. Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related.
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began on Dec. 8, and will run through the end of the year. The “high-visibility enforcement and public education” aims to raise awareness about driving under the influence, the county release said.
“This campaign is important because it allows departments throughout the state to provide additional resources to combat drinking and driving,” Cundey said. “It allows police agencies to assign officers to specifically zero-in on these infractions while regularly scheduled patrol officers handle the daily calls for service and day-to-day assignments.”
According to Cundey, the volume of impaired driving fluctuates throughout the year, as well as from year to year, however the Harrison Township Police Department takes an “aggressive approach” to enforcing DUI statutes by attending training courses offered by the state police in topics such as DWI detection and standardized field sobriety testing.
“During the last five years, New Jersey has experienced nearly 40,000 alcohol-involved crashes, resulting in more than 750 fatalities,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore said in a release. “Drive Sober is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during this time of year.”
The community is encouraged to plan ahead with a designated sober driver if planning to drink alcohol, or utilize a form of public transportation or ride sharing service. Residents are urged to call the police if they see an impaired driver on the road.
In addition to impaired driving patrols, the Harrison Township Police Department will continue to monitor commercial areas throughout the holiday season to deter criminal activity. Cundey said when in the stores, shoppers should remain alert and conscious of their surroundings, keeping a close eye on wallets and purses at all times, as well as lock vehicle doors and remove valuables from plain sight.
“The Harrison Township Police Department hopes everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season, and would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year,” Cundey said.
