MLPD's End-of-Summer 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' Crack Down Starts Friday

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — The Mount Laurel Police Department (MLPD) will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end of summer “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide Labor Day campaign. The program seeks to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.

The statewide effort, which many other local law enforcement agencies joined, began on Friday, August 16 and will continue through September 2, 2024. Local and state law enforcement officials will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints throughout New Jersey looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

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During a similar time period before Labor Day 2023, law enforcement agencies made 350 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 1,220 speeding tickets, and 634 seat belt summonses.

Under this program, the MLPD received $7,000 in funding.  Overall, $540,680 in grant funding has been given to 110 police agencies across the state to fund enhanced patrols and high-visibility sobriety checkpoints during this busy and often dangerous time.

“Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not a mistake. It’s a crime that puts everyone on the road at risk,” said Attorney General Platkin in announcing the statewide grants.. “The consequences are devastating and far-reaching – but preventable through responsible behavior and vigilant law enforcement. The campaign announced today provides overtime funds to police agencies across the state to help keep impaired drivers off our roads and avoid tragic outcomes for New Jersey families.”

As Americans use the Labor Day weekend to mark the end of summer and attend pool parties, backyard barbeques and days at the beach, the holiday has also become one of the deadliest, with drunk drivers endangering themselves and others on their way home from these festivities.

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The MLPD is urging the community to make the responsible decision and either drive sober or use designated drivers, rideshare apps or public transportation. Similarly, the staet HTS encourages individuals to have open and honest conversations with their families and friends about responsible drinking and the dangers of impaired driving.

“Impaired driving is a direct threat to the safety of everyone on the road. It’s a matter of responsibility: Each driver has a duty to make safe choices behind the wheel, for their own well-being and that of others,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “If you choose to drive while impaired, you're recklessly gambling with your life and the lives of the other people sharing the road.”

According to the New Jersey State Police, data shows that the number of intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes climbed each year from 2020 to 2022. The most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) finds that 13,524 individuals died in drunk-driving crashes in 2022 in the United States – roughly 37 each day, equivalent to one life lost every 39 minutes.

Drivers arrested for impaired driving could include fines of up to $10,000 and could be sentenced to prison and be left with a permanent criminal record.

For more information on impaired driving, visit www.NJSafeRoads.com .

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