2018 DRUNK-DRIVING AWARENESS ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [08/15/2018]

CONTACT: Chief Jeffrey Christopher, 609-967-3411

 

This Labor Day, and Every Day: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Each year, Americans mark the end of summer with the Labor Day holiday weekend, a time to celebrate the hard work and many accomplishments of our country. Friends and families eagerly await pool parties, backyard barbecues, and other occasions to enjoy the last days of summer sunshine. Sadly, the Labor Day holiday is one of the deadliest, with drunk drivers endangering themselves and others on their way home from these holiday festivities. This year, the Avalon Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get drunk drivers off the roads and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 17 through September 3, 2018.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 10,497 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2016. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2012 to 2016—one person killed every 50 minutes in 2016.  This is why The Avalon Police Department is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“We need our community to understand: It’s up to them to make the smart decision to drive sober—Labor Day, and every day.  Drunk driving is simply not acceptable” said Chief Jeffrey Christopher. This isn’t about a ticketing campaign. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives.

The Avalon Police Department and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.

The Avalon Police Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

  • Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices:, and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
  • Use the Jitneys, Taxi-cabs or Uber/Lyft type services
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Avalon Police Department immediately.
  • Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit Traffic Safety Marketing.