Police Planning Labor Day Crackdown on Drunk Driving

Mount Laurel Police will receive a state grant to crack down on drunk drivers during an end-of-summer blitz as part of the national "Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over" initiative.

Mount Laurel will get a $4,400 grant through the Division of Highway Traffic Safety—along with 155 other law enforcement agencies across the state—to target drunk drivers between Aug. 16 and Sept. 2. Statewide, the grants total $686,400.

"We want to remind everyone that getting behind the wheel drunk is a terrible idea,” said Gary Poedubicky, acting director for the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Unfortunately, not only does drinking impair your ability to operate a vehicle safely, it also impairs your judgment and good sense about whether you can, or should drive ... If you do chose to drive impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.”

Poedubicky said law enforcement agencies expect a high volume of drivers during Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30 to Sept. 2), which not coincidentally falls at the end of the drunk driving enforcement campaign. During Labor Day 2011, 138 people were killed nationwide in drunk driving-related vehicle crashes. 

“Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the ‘Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over’ campaign reduces drunk driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent," said Poedubicky.

During last year’s crackdown, law enforcement made 1,459 DWI arrests statewide. They also issued citations for speeding (6,550), seatbelt violations (4,258), driving with a suspended license (3,193) and reckless driving (947). Nearly 2,000 fugitives were apprehended during the crackdowns.

Penalties for a first DWI arrest can include fines of up to $500, 30 days in jail, one-year driver’s license suspension and court costs. Successive DWI arrests carry stiffer penalties.

Information provided by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General