Law enforcement from East Newark and elsewhere will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end of summer “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.
Beginning Aug. 19 and continuing through Sept. 5, 2022, local and state law enforcement will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort endeavors to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education. “During the last five years New Jersey has experienced more than 33,000 alcohol involved crashes resulting in 662 fatalities,” East Newark Police Chief Anthony Monteiro said. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives, especially in light of recent dramatic increases in motor vehicle fatality rates both nationally and in New Jersey.”
Last year, 23% of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 11,654 people died in 2020 in drunken-driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2022 Statewide Labor Day Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:
— Take mass transit, a taxicab or rideshare, 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 or using drugs, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.