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The message this holiday season from Ocean Township police is clear: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

From Nov. 28 through Jan. 2, 2015, the Township of Ocean Police Department will conduct a Holiday Traffic Safety Initiative, according to a release issued Tuesday. The goal of the initiative is to target unsafe vehicle operations and actions.

The department sees increases in traffic volume, aggressive driving, and crashes over the holidays — many of which can be attributed to unsafe vehicle operations, the release stated.

The initiative also supports the 2014 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign where local and state law enforcement officials conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints in an active search 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.

“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 Chief Steven R. Peters in the release. “This initiative brings attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them.”

Law enforcement agencies participating in the 2014 Year End Holiday Statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”crackdown offer the following advice:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.

• Spend the night where the activity is held.

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may

save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.

• Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

• If you are 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 or escort you to your doorstep.

• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the

wheel.

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