SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County is joining a national impaired driving enforcement campaign ahead of the Labor Day holiday.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is partnering with local law enforcement agencies from Aug. 19 through Sept. 7 as part of the campaign "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over."
The effort is timed to the Labor Day holiday period, when federal traffic fatality data has shown a high number of deadly crashes.
During the 2024 Labor Day weekend, which ran from 6 p.m. Aug. 30 through 5:59 a.m. Sept. 3, there were 505 traffic crash fatalities nationwide, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office(SCPO).
Of those deaths, 170, or 34 percent, involved a drunk driver.
The SCPO said 77 percent of impaired drivers killed during that holiday period had a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher.
Among drivers ages 18 to 34 who were killed in crashes during the same period, 40 percent had a BAC of .08 or higher.
"We want our community members to understand that our number one priority is keeping people safe. If you know you'll be drinking, we're asking you to plan ahead and arrange a safe ride home. Don't put yourself or others at risk by getting behind the wheel while impaired," said Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald.
Fore information about impaired driving, visit NHTSA.gov/DrunkDriving and NHTSA.gov/ImpairedDriving.
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