Crime & Safety

Bville and Bernards Police Remind of Risks of Drinking and Driving

Updated: Bernards and Bernardsville police to conduct extra DWI patrols this weekend.

During the upcoming week — heading through New Year's Day — potential drivers will likely be attending more events than usual where alcohol is served. Township police responded to a request for reminders regarding drinking and driving that are outlined below.

As a note, Bernards Township officers will be assigned to conduct DWI (driving while intoxicated) patrols on New Year's Eve, Saturday, according to the police department. The special patrols will be funded through a DWI enforcement grant, police said.

Bernardsville will have DWI patrols, too

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The Bernardsville police department also will be posting extra DWI patrols this holiday weekend on Friday and Saturday night, said Bernardsville Borough Police Chief Kevin Valentine.

The Bernardsville Police Department is participating with the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign sponsored by the N.J. State Division of Highway Safety, Valentine said. Program banners have been posted at the Bernardsville municipal complex and along Route 202 at the Bernardsville Fire Co. to raise awareness, the chief said. 

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Holliday travel tips for those who will be consuming alcoholic beverages, from the Bernards Township police:

— Use a designated sober driver.

— Utilize mass transit such as trains and buses.

— Plan to spend the night at a family member or friend's house.

— Plan to spend the night at a hotel.

— Take a taxi or hire a car service.

For those who will not be consuming alcohol but will still be traveling along roadways, remember to drive defensively and limit distractions, police said.

Police included further FACTS, with the source being Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

— You are more likely to be involved in a drinking and driving accident during the holidays. Drinking and driving accidents occur with more frequency during the holidays due to drinking at parties and family functions.

— Nothing will sober you up but time. Coffee and cold showers will not speed up the alcohol absorption or metabolism process. It takes approximately one hour for the body to metabolize one alcoholic drink.

— Comparing alcoholic drinks: One 12-ounce beer has the same alcohol content as one five-ounce glass of wine or one-and-a-half ounces of hard liquor.

There are dozens of factors that determine how alcohol affects an individual. Bodyweight, time of day, what you’ve eaten recently, body chemistry, how rested or tired an individual is, are just some of the factors that determine how alcohol affects an individual.

On a yearly basis, approximately 11,000 people die in drunk driving related crashes. That’s one death every 50 minutes. Every minute, one person is injured due to an alcohol related crash, police said in quoting Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

 


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