With summer nearing its conclusion, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) announced the launch of enhanced enforcement efforts to deter impaired driving in New Jersey. Grant funding from HTS will be used to mobilize law enforcement agencies throughout the state to conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints and take alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers off the roadways.
The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which began Friday and runs through Labor Day on September 2, is part of a nationwide effort to reduce crash risks and raise awareness about impaired driving during the final stretch of the summer season. To assist with New Jersey’s enforcement efforts, HTS has awarded $540,680 in grant funding to 110 police agencies across the state to fund enhanced patrols and high-visibility sobriety checkpoints during this busy and often dangerous time.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) most recent data, 13,524 individuals died in drunk-driving crashes in 2022 in the United States – roughly 37 each day, equivalent to one life lost every 39 minutes.
State-level data compiled by NHTSA shows there were only six states — Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah, and West Virginia – where alcohol-impaired drivers were responsible for a smaller share of a state’s traffic fatalities in 2022 than in New Jersey. However, New Jersey State Police data shows the number of intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes climbed each year from 2020 to 2022.
“Impaired driving is a direct threat to the safety of everyone on the road. It’s a matter of responsibility: Each driver has a duty to make safe choices behind the wheel, for their own well-being and that of others,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “If you choose to drive while impaired, you’re recklessly gambling with your life and the lives of the other people sharing the road.”
For those arrested by police for impaired driving, the legal repercussions could include fines of up to $10,000. Impaired drivers who are involved in a crash could be sentenced to prison and be left with a permanent criminal record.
During the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign leading up to Labor Day in 2023, the stepped-up efforts by law enforcement agencies led to 350 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 1,220 speeding tickets, and 634 seat belt summonses.
In addition to supporting law enforcement to maintain safe roadways, HTS encourages individuals to have open and honest conversations with their families and friends about responsible drinking and the dangers of impaired driving. Raising awareness and promoting responsible behavior is the key to reducing the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities.