Full Notification

From now through January 1st, law enforcement agencies statewide will be joining the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the 2023 high-visibility end of year holiday season "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown campaign.

During this time, officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols looking for motorists who may be driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. In addition to high-visibility enforcement, the campaign also helps to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through public education tools including posters, banners, mobile video display signs, social media, radio announcements, and television advertisements.

4,500 people were killed nationwide in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during the months of December from 2017 through 2021. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol impaired driving crashes. During last year's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" December campaign, 574 DUI arrests were made by participating law enforcement agencies in New Jersey.

In addition to being illegal and dangerous, New Jersey laws for driving while intoxicated are strict and penalties are severe. Convicted offenders and their families are affected financially and in many other ways. For more information, visit  www.nj.gov/oag/hts/youlose.html

Law enforcement agencies participating in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown offer the following advice:

• If you plan on drinking, have a designated driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.

• If you’ve been drinking, ask a sober friend to drive you home or utilize a taxi or ridesharing service.

• Spend the night where the activity is held.

• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report an impaired 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.

• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

Launched in 1999, this program works to combat impaired driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including the Labor Day and the end-of-year holiday seasons. As part of the program, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to law enforcement agencies to help run the campaign. The remaining agencies are asked to support the crackdown with their own resources and by raising awareness. The ultimate goal of the campaign is high visibility enforcement backed by a strong consistent message to the public.