New Jersey Officials Kick-Off "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" Campaign to Combat Impaired Driving

Intensive Law Enforcement Effort Will Include DUI Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols

August 17, 2007 -- Trenton – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director Pam Fischer today announced that law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey will be conducting additional patrols and sobriety checkpoints from August 17 through September 3, 2007, as part of the national “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” impaired driving initiative.

According to Attorney General Milgram, drunk driving is one of the most commonly committed crimes, taking the lives of nearly 50 people across the country everyday.

“This concentrated law enforcement effort will send a strong message to the motoring public that we are very serious when we say, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest,” Attorney General Milgram said. “While we are heightening awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving during this two-week effort, motorists should also know that in New Jersey, law enforcement is committed to combating impaired driving and keeping motorists safe from the tragedies often associated with this behavior year-round.”

As part of this national initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety is providing grants of $5,000 each to 186 local law enforcement agencies throughout the State. The New Jersey State Police will also participate in this effort.

Division Director Fischer noted that law enforcement officers will be out in full-force during the program’s two-week run, looking for any driver that may have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

“New Jersey’s drunk driving laws are among the toughest in the nation,” Fischer stated. “This initiative increases the public’s awareness not only about the serious fines and penalties drunk drivers can face, but the grave danger these motorists pose to all individuals on the road.”

Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year.

“The last two weeks of summer are traditionally a time when highways are filled with motorists traveling to vacation destinations, including the Jersey Shore,” Fischer said. “Last year, 240 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes on New Jersey highways. That number represents 31 percent of the 770 traffic fatalities reported in the state. In addition, 63 of those alcohol-related fatalities occurred during the summer travel season. The statistics, which represent real families and real lives that have been changed forever, reinforce the critical need for continued efforts to keep the drunk driver off New Jersey’s roadways.”

Additional information on the effort, as well as a list of those police agencies receiving grants from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to implement the program, are available on the Division’s Web site, www.NJSafeRoads.com.

Source: New Jersey Attorney General

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