The Gloucester Township Police Department has been selected to participate in the Division of Highway Traffic Safety’s 2025 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over year-end holiday crackdown, running from December 5, 2025, through January 1, 2026. This national initiative, coordinated through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), focuses on reducing impaired driving through high visibility enforcement during the holiday season, when alcohol-related crashes and fatalities historically increase.
According to the most recently collected and published data from NHTSA, 12,429 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes nationwide in 2023, averaging one death every 42 minutes. These figures reflect a continuing pattern of preventable tragedies. Additional NHTSA holiday and month-specific data show the danger is even greater during the year-end period. In 2022, 1,062 people were killed in drunk driving crashes during the month of December alone, including 281 deaths during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods. Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 4,759 people were killed in December drunk-driving crashes nationwide.
Gloucester Township Police Captain Anthony Massi stated: “The Gloucester Township Police Department is fully committed to preventing impaired driving and ensuring the safety of everyone who uses our roadways. Participation in this enforcement campaign reinforces our dedication to proactive, high-visibility policing. Our officers will continue to work diligently to deter, identify, and remove impaired drivers from our roads. Protecting the public remains our highest priority.”
During the enforcement period, the Gloucester Township Police Department will increase patrols and conduct proactive traffic operations aimed at identifying and removing impaired drivers from the roadway. The department urges all residents to plan ahead if they will be consuming alcohol by choosing a sober driver, using a taxi or rideshare service, or arranging to stay overnight.
Residents can also help keep the community safe by following several simple but life-saving practices: never drive after consuming alcohol or drugs; do not allow others to drive impaired; ensure guests have a safe ride home when hosting gatherings; call 911 to report suspected impaired drivers; and always wear a seat belt. The Gloucester Township Police Department reminds everyone that celebrating responsibly is one of the most effective ways to prevent avoidable tragedies during the holiday season.
Additional official impaired-driving statistics, data, and campaign information are available through the following sources:
• NHTSA – Drunk Driving (includes 2023 statistics):
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
• NHTSA – Alcohol-Impaired Driving, 2023 Data (CrashStats Fact Sheet, PDF):
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/813
• NHTSA – Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over
• New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety:
https://www.njsaferoads.com
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD):
https://www.madd.org