Thanksgiving is cracking down on drunk drivers in Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – Law enforcement in Somerset and Hunterdon counties is urging motorists during Thanksgiving gatherings to remember that “driving while humming is drunk driving.”

Drunk driving is a crime that has cost many people their lives in the past
Thanksgiving celebrations.

According to statistics, during the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday 6 p.m. – Monday 5:59 a.m.), 184 people died in drunk driving accidents in which one or more drivers had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.

Drivers ages 21 to 34 (32 percent) were the age group with the highest rate of involvement in fatal drunk driving crashes during Thanksgiving 2022.

From 2018 to 2022, the death toll from alcohol-influenced crashes during Thanksgiving was 833, accounting for 34 percent of all traffic crash fatalities during that period.

“Driving under the influence is never an option,” said Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald. “Just one drink can be enough to impair a person’s judgment and ability to drive. Having a plan for safe transportation before your first drink is the responsible way to avoid the dangers of impaired driving this Thanksgiving. Drivers can keep themselves and their passengers safe, and other families can stay safe on the road by recognizing that driving while drunk and by making plans to drive sober or drive home sober. “

McDonald gave drivers the following tips:

• Drivers should stay safe during the Thanksgiving holiday by planning ahead if they plan to drink alcohol.
• They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how they’re going to get somewhere.
• Impairment clouds a person’s judgment. Drivers should get a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.
• If a driver finds that they cannot drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that they can get them home safely.
• If a friend has been drinking and is thinking about driving, friends should be proactive – take their keys away and help them drive home sober.
• If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact local law enforcement.

“All drivers are reminded to maintain the Thanksgiving holiday spirit by making responsible decisions and prioritizing the safety of all road users,” McDonald said. “Drive 100 percent sober, because loud driving is drunk driving.”

For more information about impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

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