PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Drive sober or get pulled over. That's the message from police in New Jersey who are beefing up drunk driving patrols as Labor Day approaches.
New Jersey has provided an extra $500,000 to cover costs as police ramp up drunk driving enforcement throughout the state over the next few weeks.
There will also be sobriety checkpoints in random locations. Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck said the campaign is designed to make sure people don't get behind the wheel in the first place if they're drunk or high. If they do, they will be held accountable.
Typically, drunk or impaired driving accounts for about a quarter of all crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That jumps to around 45% in the summer when people are partying a little more.
New Jersey division of highway traffic safety director Eric Heitmann said to celebrate responsibly and plan ahead. There's no excuse to drive drunk. Pick a designated driver and take the keys away from anyone who has too much to drink.
Heitmann also suggested talking to teens about drunk driving and offering them rides home, no matter what, no questions asked if they ask for help.
If you do see someone driving erratically, pull over right away and call 9-1-1 to report it. Make sure you can describe the vehicle, location and direction of travel so police can check it out.
