Barnegat To Increase DWI Patrols For Rest Of The Year

BARNEGAT, NJ — You better watch out, you better not drink and drive. Because Barnegat will increase DWI enforcement from Friday through Jan. 1.

Barnegat is one of 129 New Jersey towns to receive a state grant from the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

Law enforcement throughout the state will crack down on drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol as part of the holiday-season campaign. Local and state authorities will conduct saturation patrols looking for people driving while intoxicated.

Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 10,511 people died in 2018 in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually, state officials say.

Barnegat's grant is worth $5,500. Among Ocean County towns, Berkeley, Jackson, Lakewood, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Boro and Seaside Heights received the grant too — all also worth $5,500. Read more: These 129 NJ Towns Have Heavy DWI Patrols For Rest Of The Year

Law enforcement agencies participating in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown" offer the following advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It's your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are 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.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

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