Impaired Driving Enforcement Ramps Up in Freehold Twp. Starting Friday

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Expect more vigilance in combatting impaired driving in the township during the next several weeks.

Law enforcement officials here will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of a statewide, end-of-summer “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, said a news release from the department.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 19, and continuing through Sept. 5, local and state police will conduct "saturation patrols" and sobriety checkpoints, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated, the department said.

Part of the program involves directed patrol, specifically looking for impaired driving. Any sobriety checkpoints that will be set up would have their locations published in advance, said Freehold Township Det. Lt. Joseph Winowski.

The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort tries to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of "high-visibility enforcement and public education," the news release said.

Last year, 23 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 11,654 people died in 2020 in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually, the news release said.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2022 Statewide Labor Day Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab or rideshare, 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 or using drugs, do not let that person get behind the wheel.