DWI Checkpoint In Cherry Hill Memorial Day Weekend: Police

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The Cherry Hill Police Department will conduct a DWI Sobriety Checkpoint the weekend before Memorial Day, police announced on Thursday. The checkpoint will take place over the weekend of May 27, during the late evening hours. It is one of several DWI Checkpoints scheduled throughout the year.

"These checkpoints are designed to make roadways safer by deterring and apprehending intoxicated drivers," police said. "High-visibility enforcement and media attention have made checkpoints an effective tool in removing impaired drivers from the roadways."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,265 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes across the United States in 2015. Of the 562 traffic fatalities in New Jersey in 2015, 142 were killed as a result of alcohol involvement. That number represents 25 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities reported that year.

Police provided the following tips:

• If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.

• Take mass transit, a taxi 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 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.

• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

• If you’re 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 you to your doorstep.

Patch file photo