Police Department Joins Statewide Drunk Driving Campaign

The New Providence Police Department will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the summer 2011 “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” statewide campaign. 

Beginning Aug. 19 and running through Sept. 5, 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 displays signs. Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including summer months.

"Many people believe that after just a few drinks, there safe to drive," said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger."

As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign.

In 2009 in New Jersey, 149 people were killed as a result of alcohol- related crashes.  That number represents 25 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state that year.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit, Under Arrest 2011 offers the following advice:

• Take mass transit, 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 your 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.