Hillsborough Awarded $4,200 In State's 'Drive Sober' Campaign

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough is among the New Jersey towns receiving state funding as officials roll out the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign ahead of Labor Day.

The grantee list includes Hillsborough for $4,200 as part of the statewide enforcement and public awareness effort announced by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

The campaign runs from Aug. 19 through Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2026.

According to the announcement, it is part of a nationwide high-visibility enforcement effort during one of the busiest travel periods of the summer.

Drivers can expect increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints focused on identifying and removing impaired drivers from New Jersey roadways.

The Division of Highway Traffic Safety awarded more than $511,580 in grant funding to 106 local law enforcement agencies and $191,153 to the New Jersey State Police to support additional impaired-driving enforcement.

Police departments will also participate in the mobilization as part of ongoing efforts to reduce preventable crashes, injuries and deaths, according to the announcement.

"A celebration should never end with someone taking a chance behind the wheel," Davenport said. "Impaired drivers put our children, passengers, families, pedestrians, cyclists, police officers, and everyone else using our roads in danger. Make the responsible decision before the festivities begin. Arrange a sober ride, designate a driver, or stay where you are. There is never an acceptable reason to drive impaired."

According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,367 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes nationwide in 2024, accounting for about 20 percent of all traffic fatalities.

In New Jersey, 186 people were killed in crashes involving an alcohol- or drug-impaired driver in 2024. Impaired driving was a contributing factor in about 27 percent of the state's fatal crashes during that period.

The announcement said impairment risks extend beyond alcohol and can include cannabis, certain prescription medications, illegal drugs and combinations of substances.

Drivers arrested for impaired driving can face license suspension, fines and fees, higher insurance costs, education or treatment requirements, ignition interlock requirements and possible incarceration.

"Impairment affects judgment before many drivers recognize that they are no longer capable of driving safely," said Michael J. Rizol Jr., director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "That is why the safest decision must be made in advance. Plan your ride home before drinking or using any impairing substance. A rideshare, taxi, sober friend, or overnight stay may require a little planning, but those choices are far better than an arrest, a crash, or a life permanently changed."

During New Jersey's 2025 Labor Day campaign, participating law enforcement agencies made 1,612 impaired-driving arrests, according to the announcement.

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