Cranbury Police To Crack Down on Drunk Driving

Cranbury police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2012 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign beginning Friday.

The department received a $4,000 grant from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence, according to Lt. Frank Dillane. Officers will increase visibility to help deter people from driving under the influence, and make arrests and issue tickets to those violating the law.

The crackdown period will extend through Labor Day weekend, ending Sept. 3. Patrols would mainly focus on the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. hours and police will not conduct DUI checkpoints, Dillane said. 

“Many people believe that after a few drinks they’re still safe to drive,” Gary
Poedubicky, acting director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said in a news release. “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”

In 2010 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 20 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities, according to the release.

Although the name has changed over the years, Cranbury has received impaired driving enforcement grants during the past eight years. In 2004 a $5,000 “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” grant was awarded. Later the name changed and from 2007 to 2011, grants were awarded for impaired driving enforcement through the “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” program. 

Police offer the following advice:

• If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.
• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk 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.
• If you’re 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 you to your doorstep.

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