Apollo and General News

 If you plan on driving your automobile while intoxicated this holiday season in New York City or the rest of the state, for that matter, then I would recommend even more caution than usual. All in all, new York will be cracking down in a big way. Last year, for instance, some 28 percent of all deaths in New York State were due to drivers crashing who happended to be drunk. New York State officials will be conducting a crackdown from now until the New Years. Last September first, there were some two thousand alcohol-related arrests. These measures are vital from the standpoint of prevent death and personal injury on the highways and biways, both in New York City and upstate

Drivers should expect to encounter sobriety checkpoints. Officers will be out in force with saturation patrols. Drivers who have an alcohol limit of 0.08 percent or more will be arrested. A blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent is considered driving while impaired. Incidentially if you reside in New York City and require a good New York City personal injury attorney you should certainly take a look at the Law Offices of Geller & Siegal as they are indeed leading New York City personal injury attorney around.

In addition to these actions, the Albany County District Attorney, David Soares, is hoping the new DWI and Vehicular Crimes Team to help prevent drinking drinking and therefore personal injury while drunk. A board of advisors will likewise include in the DUI penalty the ability for the District Attorney office to confiscate the vehicles of offenders. This is a particular policy that New York City has had in place in the past, but was problematical indeed.

In New Jersey, the enforcement program will run from December 8, 2008, through January 2, 2009. A spokesperson for the city, Joe Ryan, wrote the following message taken from the Bayonne Now article, Police: Drunk driving crackdown this holiday season, published November 27, 2008:

The holiday season in general and Christmas in particular is often perceived as a time for social gatherings, which usually features the injestion alcohol. The goal of the program is to raise overall awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. The police will use high visibility enforcement, and will arrest motorists who choose to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Mayor Mark A. Smith said, “I would like to urge all residents to obey the law and exercise caution this holiday season. The Bayonne Police Department will take all appropriate steps to keep our streets safe. I would ask the public to plan holiday travels carefully, so that no impaired drivers end up behind the wheel.”
Impaired drivers kill nearly 18,000 people on our nation’s roads each year. In New Jersey for 2007, 205 of the 724 motor vehicle fatalities were alcohol-related.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Over the Limit Under Arrest 2008 Year End Crackdown offer the following advice:

- Be responsible and don’t risk it…you will be caught.
- If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
- Realize before going out that every drink you have makes it more difficult to know when you’ve had too much to drive.
- Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
- Spend the night where the activity is held.
- Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
- Always buckle up. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” said Pam Fischer, Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “This initiative brings attention to not only the serious fines and penalties drunk drivers can face, but the grave danger these motorists pose to all individuals on the road.”