(Cherry Hill, NJ) -- During various times throughout the year, the Cherry Hill Police Department conducts Motor Vehicle Sobriety Checkpoints. These checkpoints are designed to make roadways safer by deterring and apprehending intoxicated drivers. High-visibility enforcement and media attention have made checkpoints an effective tool in removing impaired drivers from the roadways.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 143 people were killed in New Jersey as a result of DWI-related crashes in 2013. That number represents 26 percent of the 542 traffic fatalities reported in the state that year.
Law enforcement officers from Cherry Hill Township offer the following advice:
-- If you plan to drink, designate a driver, someone who will not drink alcohol, before going out.-- Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
-- Spend the night where the activity is held.-- Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.
-- Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.-- If you’re 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 you to your doorstep.
The Cherry Hill Police Department has planned to conduct a sobriety checkpoint during the weekend of July 11, 2015 during the late-evening hours.