Crime & Safety

Cranford Police to Crack Down on Drunken Drivers

Chief Mason suggests using a designated driver, mass transit or taxi to travel after drinking.

The Cranford Police Department will be stepping up impaired driving enforcement as part of the annual holiday season Over the Limit, Under Arrest campaign from December 7 to January 3.

A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners, and mobile video display signs.  Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.

“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” said Pam Fischer, Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.  “This initiative brings attention to not only the serious fines and penalties drunk drivers can face, but the grave danger these motorists pose to all individuals on the road.”

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Impaired drivers kill nearly 18,000 people on our nation’s roads each year.  In 2008, 152 people were killed as a result of alcohol related crashes in New Jersey.  That number represents 26 percent of the 590 traffic fatalities reported in the State.

The Cranford Police Department will be joining other law enforcement agencies throughout the state in participating in the program.  Cranford Police Chief Eric Mason offers the following advice:

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  • If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
  •  Take mass transit, a taxicab, 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 on their cell phones to report a drunk driver.
  •  Always buckle up - it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

For additional information contact Lt. Joseph Van Bergen of the Cranford Traffic Safety Division at 908-272-2222.


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