DWI Crackdown Begins Friday

As part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, New Milford police will be cracking down on drunk drivers, Chief of Police Frank Papapietro said. Beginning Friday, Aug. 16 and running through Monday, Sept. 2, officers will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols looking for drivers who may be intoxicated. 

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a National campaign recognized by municipalities throughout the country. The campaign is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving by using high visibility enforcement, banners, posters and mobile video display signs.

Launched in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state of New Jersey to fund the two-week campaign. 

According to the Division of Highway and Traffic Safety, in 2012, alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 19 percent of New Jersey's motor vehicle accidents.

Papapietro advises that if you go out and plan to drink, before you leave, designate a driver who is not drinking alcohol. If you are out and have been drinking alcohol, ask a sober friend to take you home, call a cab or plan to spend the night.

In N.J. you can report an aggressive or a drunk driver you can call #77.

Follow New Milford Patch on Facebook and Twitter;  Click here to sign-up for our daily newsletter and get local news like this delivered to your in-box.