Westwood Police Increasing Enforcement of Drunk Driving

Westwood Police will be making extra efforts to crack down on drunk driving this month.

The department is participating in the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign from August 17 to September 3. The effort will include sobriety checkpoints and extra patrols paid for with grants from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

“Many people believe that after a few drinks they’re still safe to drive,” Gary
Poedubicky, Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said in a press release. “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”

Almost 11,000 people die due to impaired driving each year, according to the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

Police offered the following advice for drinkers:

-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.

Local police also held a program for students at in June to .

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