Statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Crackdown Targets Impaired Holiday Driving

Law enforcement ramps up patrols and checkpoints as New Jersey works to reduce alcohol- and drug-related crashes this festive season.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) have launched the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign to curb impaired driving during the busy winter holiday period. Beginning immediately and continuing through January 1, 2025, law enforcement agencies across the state will intensify their efforts to identify and apprehend motorists driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In support of this statewide crackdown, HTS has allocated $732,400 in grants to 130 law enforcement agencies, enabling them to conduct saturation patrols and establish high-visibility sobriety checkpoints. The enhanced measures are designed to deter unsafe driving behaviors, reduce roadway fatalities, and protect New Jersey motorists during one of the year’s busiest travel seasons.

Morris County recipients: Chester Township $7,000; Dover $7,000; Hanover $7,000; Jefferson $8,750; Morristown $7,000; Parsippany-Troy Hills $8,750; Randolph $7,000.

“Being a responsible driver is one of the simplest ways to ensure a safe and happy holiday season for everyone. Our Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is aimed at raising public awareness and saving lives,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Drivers who put lives at risk by getting behind the wheel drunk or high will face serious consequences.”

Data from the New Jersey State Police underscore the urgency of these efforts. In 2022, 606 lives were lost in 574 fatal crashes on state roadways, with more than 31 percent of those incidents involving a driver who tested positive for alcohol or drugs. Nationally, impaired driving remains a persistent threat: Of the 42,514 motor vehicle deaths recorded across the United States in 2022, 13,524 (over 31 percent) involved alcohol impairment.

“What makes these impaired driving fatalities so tragic is that they’re 100 percent preventable,” said Michael J. Rizol Jr., Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Our Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign provides law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey with funding to help prevent these tragedies by targeting impaired drivers and removing them from the road so everyone can make it home safely during the holidays.”

Last year’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” holiday initiative in New Jersey, backed by $795,340 in grants to 132 agencies, resulted in 603 impaired driving arrests, along with more than 1,000 speeding and over 500 seat belt citations. This year’s campaign continues that focused approach, aiming to maintain safer streets by holding drivers accountable and discouraging impaired driving.

For more information and safety updates, residents can follow the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and visit NJSafeRoads.com.