In Brief: MPD to crack down on motorists who drive impaired
Law enforcement officials from Montclair Police Department will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of their Traffic Safety Initiatives for 2019.
The first DWI checkpoint will take place Thursday, Oct. 17. More will follow throughout the holiday season, police said.
In addition to the stationary checkpoints, officers will be conducting additional roving enforcement details looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
In 2017, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, more than 10,000 people die each year in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $37 billion annually.
The Montclair Police Department offers the following advice as alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
- Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
- Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
- If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.