Aberdeen Police Plan Crackdown On Drunk Drivers

Aberdeen police will be cracking down on drunk drivers through the statewide 2015 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

The police department received a $5,000 grant from the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety to fund overtime DWI patrols, according to a news release from Chief John T. Powers.

The campaign kicks off on Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 7.

Local and state police plan to conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, searching for intoxicated drivers.

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs,” the news release said. “Launched across the U.S. in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during the busy summer travel season, including the Labor Day holiday period.”

In 2013, alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 27 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities, the news release said.

“More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, and these crashes cost our society nearly $50 billion annually,” Gary Poedubicky, acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety said in a prepared statement. “There is a zero tolerance message for this campaign. If drivers are caught operating their vehicle while impaired they will be arrested.”

Here’s advice from police:

• “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.”