ERMA — Lower Township police will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the summer of 2009 “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign.

Beginning Aug. 21 and running through Sept. 7, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

A concentrated national effort, the campaign helps to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched nationally in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during some of the busiest travel times of the year, including
the summer months.

“Many people believe that after just a few drinks, they’re safe to drive,” said Pam Fischer, Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, “Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time, putting not only yourself, but everyone on the road, in danger.”

As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nationally, drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32 percent of all traffic deaths in 2008. Last year in New Jersey, 152 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes. That number represents 26 percent of the 590 traffic fatalities reported in the state last year.

In addition, 56 of those alcohol-related fatalities occurred during the summer travel season.