New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) have announced the launch of the annual statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign to combat impaired driving.
Running through January 1, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence and reduce the number of crashes caused by impaired motorists during the bustling holiday travel period. Law enforcement agencies across New Jersey will intensify enforcement efforts, participating in a nationwide push to deter impaired driving during the holidays.
To bolster enforcement efforts, HTS has allocated grants totaling $732,400 to 130 law enforcement agencies statewide. These funds will support overtime pay for saturation patrols and high-visibility sobriety checkpoints throughout the campaign.
Impaired driving is a major contributor to traffic fatalities in New Jersey. According to New Jersey State Police data, 606 lives were lost in 574 fatal crashes on state roadways last year. Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in more than 31% of those incidents. Nationally, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for over 31% of the 42,514 motor vehicle fatalities in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“What makes these impaired driving fatalities so tragic is that they’re 100 percent preventable,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Our Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign provides law enforcement agencies with funding to target impaired drivers, ensuring everyone makes it home safely during the holidays.”
Last year’s campaign, which provided $795,340 in grant funding to 132 law enforcement agencies, led to 603 impaired driving arrests, 1,034 speeding summonses, and 557 seat belt summonses.
The Division of Highway Traffic Safety encourages the public to follow their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates and to visit NJSafeRoads.com for more information.