Checkpoints, Extra Enforcement to Find Drunk Drivers

With the holiday season here, police are becoming more vigilant in the face of drunk driving, beginning with the launch of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

The program, which began Dec. 5, will run through Jan. 2, and will include a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in Bridgewater from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 16.

According to a release from the Bridgewater Township Police Department, officers will be conducting saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints to find motorists who are driving while intoxicated, especially during the holiday season.

This program is national, according to the release, and helps to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools. Such tools, the release said, includes posters, banners and mobile video display signs.

According to the release, 168 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2010, which is 30 percent of the 556 traffic fatalities reported in the state overall.

Drivers, according to the release, are being asked to take a pledge through Ensign John R. Elliot HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers that they will drive sober, be a designated driver and avoid letting friends drive drunk. This campaign was started in New Jersey by the Elliot family after their son was killed in a head-on collision with a drunk driver.

Police have offered tips for ensuring that people do not drive drunk during the holiday season, and at any time:

• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a friend who is sober to drive.
• Stay over at the location of the activity.
• Call law enforcement officials to report impaired drivers. Drivers can dial #77 to report drink drivers.
• Always wear your seat belt.
• Take a cab or have someone escort you to your front door if you are intoxicated and traveling on foot.