Extra Police Out In Matawan, Hazlet, Middletown Thanksgiving Eve

MATAWAN, NJ — Police announced there will be extra officers out starting Wednesday night "Thanksgiving Eve" in these following towns in the Bayshore region: Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Holmdel, Highlands, Keyport, Keansburg, Matawan, Middletown and Union Beach.

All those towns will be deploying officers as part of a DWI Saturation Patrol during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Nine of the departments were awarded grants from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety of $11,000 each to conduct saturation patrols over the next twelve months. The remainder will use Drunk Driving Enforcement Funds.

As one of the busiest travel holidays, Thanksgiving is also one of the deadliest. Motorists navigating unfamiliar roads, often late, are more likely to crash, especially if they’ve been drinking alcohol. The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is a cultural phenomenon called “Thanksgiving Eve,” an evening associated with drinking and a big night for bars. From 2012 to 2016, over 800 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period (6:00 p.m. Wednesday to 5:59 a.m. Monday), making it the deadliest holiday on our roads. Six of the drivers in those crashes were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Drivers, please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

• Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash.
• If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
• If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.

Remember, driving after drinking should never be an option.

Image via Morguefile