Crime & Safety

Drunk Driving Crackdown Begins Friday in Warren Twp.

Extra officers will be out on roads looking for drunken drivers into the New Year.

Officers from the Warren Township police department will be participating in the National Traffic Administration's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" year-end holiday crackdown beginning Friday, tomorrow, and continuing through Jan. 2, police announced.

The announcement said that township police will use "high visibility enforcement" while on the lookout for drivers who may be intoxicated. The hope is that the police presence will discourage the public from driving under the influence, the announcement said.

The Warren Township police department, like others in area, received a $4,400 state grant to fund the extra patrols, said Police Lt. Herbert Hentschel.

The goal of the project, which originates with federal funding, is to reduce the number of alcohol-impaired facilities in New Jersey. According to the announcement, 19 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state were related to alcohol.

"Despite the 19 percent being a decrease from 2011, impaired driving remains a significant issue, both in New Jersey and nationwide," the announcement said.

The annual initiative focuses both on impaired driving enforcement and education, the announcement said.

Further tips from the program include:


·      Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.

·      Spend the night where the activity is held.

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·      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," police said.

Find out what's happening in Warrenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

·      For those who are intoxicated and traveling on foot, police advise 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, do not let that person get behind the wheel," according to a reminder from the program.





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