TOMS RIVER — State Police will set up a sobriety checkpoint on Saturday night on the Jersey Shore.

The checkpoint will be set up in Toms River but the exact location or hours were not disclosed.  A possible location could be Route 37, which runs from Seaside Heights and through Toms River to the Garden State Parkway.

"Troopers will be looking for signs of impairment due to alcohol or drugs. If you plan on drinking, have a designated driver, arrange for transportation or stay where you are. It’s not worth the risk of hurting or killing yourself, a friend, a loved one, or innocent motorist," police said in a statement announcing the checkpoint on their Facebook page.

Not every vehicle will be stopped. Typically there is a set interval to check vehicles passing by the checkpoint.

The sobriety checkpoint takes place during the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which started on Friday and runs through September 3, according to the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The stated goal of the campaign is prevention.

"Drivers must perceive that the risk of being caught is too high before their behavior will change," the campaign's website stated.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1990 ruled that “the interest in reducing alcohol-impaired driving was sufficient to justify the brief intrusion of a sobriety checkpoint. If conducted properly, sobriety checkpoints do not constitute illegal search and seizure in most states,” according to the state Attorney General’s website.

State Police said that if you see someone you believe is posing a hazard on the road to not take matters into your own hands.

"What we recommend to people who witness a crime or witness a traffic violation is to report it to the police" after pulling over by calling 911 or #77, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Flynn, a State Police spokesman.

Flynn said callers should be ready to give a description of the vehicle and occupants, a location and direction, and a license plate if possible.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

 

 

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM