New Jersey police launch Goal Zero Labor Day enforcement targeting pedestrian safety, DWI
NEW JERSEY — Law enforcement agencies across New Jersey are conducting a high-visibility Goal Zero traffic enforcement initiative Friday as the Labor Day holiday travel period gets underway, according to the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Sept. 4 initiative focuses on pedestrian safety during daytime hours and driving while intoxicated enforcement after 6 p.m. Participating departments with sufficient staffing are being encouraged to maintain enforcement from daylight through the late-night travel period.
NJSACOP said data shows a consistent increase in alcohol-involved traffic fatalities beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday before a holiday weekend, making the Friday before Labor Day one of the most dangerous travel periods of the year.
During the day, officers will emphasize speeding and yielding to pedestrians. After 6 p.m., the focus will shift to impaired driving enforcement.
“Labor Day weekend should be about families getting where they are going and coming home safely—not becoming another statistic. On September 4, our officers will be highly visible from daylight through darkness: protecting pedestrians during the day and taking impaired drivers off the road after 6 p.m. Drive sober. Slow down. Yield to people on foot. If you don’t, expect to be stopped,” said Collingswood Police Chief Kevin J. Carey, NJSACOP president.
The enforcement initiative also comes at the end of what traffic safety officials call the “106 Deadliest Days,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities historically peak.
“The Friday before Labor Day is one of the most dangerous times to be on a New Jersey road all year. We will meet that risk with presence, deterrence, and a clear message: one poor decision can end or forever change a life,” Chief Carey said.
The initiative is part of NJSACOP’s 2026 Goal Zero Enforcement Calendar and aligns with New Jersey’s Target Zero effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries through enforcement, education, engineering and community engagement.
Motorists are being urged to avoid distractions, reduce their speed, yield to pedestrians, watch for people on foot as daylight fades and never drive after consuming alcohol or cannabis.
