Somerset County Police To Crack Down On Impaired Drivers

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset and Hunterdon Counties will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end of year“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign beginning Friday.

The crackdown will continue through Jan. 3, 2019, where local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

“During the last five years New Jersey ha experienced nearly 38,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in more than 700 fatalities," said Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.

“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” added Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor.

Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, more than 10,000 people die each year in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $37 billion annually, according to Robertson.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2018 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.

Anyone with information pertaining to drunk driving should contact their local police department or make a report via the STOPit app. The STOPit app can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: “SOMERSETNJ”.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS(8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or at www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

(Image via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)

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