DWI patrols on Gloucester County roads through Labor Day holiday

The county prosecutor’s office will distribute $45,000 received form the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety

State-funded roving police patrols targeting drug and alcohol-impaired drivers that started Aug. 18 in 16 Gloucester County municipalities will continue through Sept. 4.

“Police throughout Gloucester County are out in record numbers keeping our streets safe,” Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said. “We want the driving public to enjoy the end of the summer and Labor Day holiday responsibly. Please have a designated driver or utilize taxi or ride-sharing services. There is no reason for anyone to drive while intoxicated.”

The patrols are part of a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign, using high-visibility enforcement and public education to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Coinciding with celebrations of the Labor Day holiday, “prevention and not arrest is the goal of the campaign,” said the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Drivers must perceive that the risk of being caught is too high before their behavior will change.”

In New Jersey, just under a third of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes- 562 in 2015- are alcohol-related. Nationally, more than ten thousand people die each year in drunk driving crashes. More than a million drivers across the U.S. are arrested annually for driving while under the influence.

In Gloucester County, the county Prosecutor’s Office will distribute $45,000 received form the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to pay for extra patrols in Monroe, Harrison, Washington, Mantua, Logan, Woolwich, Franklin, Deptford, West Deptford and Greenwich Townships, Glassboro, Westville, Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Pitman and Clayton.