Police in New Jersey are ramping up a holiday crackdown on drunk driving. The assault on drunk driving is part of the “Get Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign, which is an attempt to prevent alcohol-related accidents by increasing police enforcement of drunk driving laws. The state of New Jersey plans to have officers conduct more saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints in order to detect alcohol-impaired drivers. The campaign began in New Jersey and elsewhere in the nation on December 7, and it also attempts to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while intoxicated through promotional materials. The campaign, in existence since 1999, has worked to reduce the number of DUI accidents during one of the busiest traveling seasons in the year.
A crackdown on DUI accidents during the Christmas season is a vital necessity; by one estimate, drunk driving increases by ten percent during the holiday season, and another estimate by law enforcement has DUI arrests increasing by forty percent from the previous year. In 2011, 152 people were killed in New Jersey as a result of drunk driving accidents, accounting for 24 percent of the total 627 roadside fatalities in the state.
These statistics illustrate the reason why traveling on the road can be dangerous during the Christmas season. During the many Christmas celebrations that go on during this time of year, many people drink alcohol in excess, and drunk driving rates sky-rocket as a result. This leads to a higher prevalence of DUI accidents, and thus a greater danger to the ordinary motorist. It is this phenomenon that the crackdown is intended to combat.
People injured by a drunk driver are often entitled to a personal injury judgment against that person and to monetary damages. The victim is entitled to damages stemming from the defendant’s negligence or recklessness and also monetary compensation for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and any temporary or permanent disability incurred. With the help of an experienced attorney, people injured in a DUI accident may be able to get the relief they need to carry on with their lives.
Source: Mycentraljersey.com, “Drunken-driving crackdown to be conducted during holiday season,” Dec. 11, 2012.