Lower Police Participating in ‘Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over’

ERMA- Lower Township police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the annual holiday season, “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.
Beginning Dec. 7 and running through Jan. 2, 2013, local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints 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.
“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” said Lieutenant Thomas Beeby. “This initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them.”
Last year in New Jersey, 152 people were killed as a result of alcohol impaired crashes. That number represents 24 percent of the 627 traffic fatalities reported in the state in 2011.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” Year End Crackdown, offer the following advice:
♦ Take mass transit, a taxicab, 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 on their cell phones to report a drunk driver.
♦ Always buckle up, every ride. 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 or escort you to your doorstep.
Motorists are also asked to subscribe to the pledge of the Ensign, John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers; Drive sober, be a designated driver and don’t let friends drive drunk. Under the effort, local businesses and community groups, law enforcement agencies and schools will work together to keep drunk drivers off the road.
Started in New Jersey by the Elliot Family following the tragic death of their son, John, in a head on collision with a drunk driver, the campaign has become a national model for preventing drunk driving.