The Hamilton Township Police Department is joining police departments from across the state to participate in this year’s crackdown on impaired driving.

The 2019 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide Labor Day Crackdown begins this Friday, Aug. 16, and runs through Labor Day on Sept. 2. During this national campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols targeting motorists who may be driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Over the past five years, there have been more than 36,000 motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers resulting in 679 deaths.

As part of this initiative, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local police agencies, including the Hamilton Township, to run the two-week campaign. During last year’s crackdown, participating agencies made 1,196 DUI arrests.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 crackdown 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.

• 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