Neighbor News
Communities Promote 'Be a HERO' Campaign
Two Bridgewater car dealerships are among the businesses supporting the "Be a HERO" campaign to promote designated driving.
Somerset County Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano has rounded up the community at large to promote the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers aimed at encouraging safe and sober driving during the coming holidays. The Sheriff’s Office, Safe Communities Coalition, Empower Somerset and several local eating and drinking establishments and car dealerships are promoting designated driving in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.
As part of the campaign, restaurants Big Heads Pub in Hillsborough, Southside Grille & Restaurant in South Bound Brook and Verve in Somerville have agreed to promote the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers to their patrons. Bridgewater Lexus and Bridgewater BMW also are supporting the initiative and are handing out HERO Campaign brochures and magnets.
“Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable by not driving under the influence,” said Sheriff Provenzano. “Don’t risk getting arrested for impaired driving or worse, for injuring or killing someone by getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated. A person’s driving ability can be impaired after only one drink and this impairment combined with driving can result in the unnecessary tragic loss of life.”
Bill and Muriel Elliott started the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers in memory of their son, U.S. Navy Ensign John R. Elliott, who was killed in a collision with a drunk driver in July 2000. While at the U.S. Naval Academy, Ensign Elliott was selected as a Human Education Resource Officer (HERO) to counsel and mentor other members of his company and was named “the outstanding HERO” of his graduating class. He was killed two months after graduation.
Multiple New Jersey agencies will promote the campaign and its message, “Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver®,” through highway digital message boards, posters in participating bars and restaurants and thousands of car window decals distributed at the upcoming “Drive Sober or get Pulled Over” initiative by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
“This is the time of year when people will gather with friends, colleagues and family to enjoy time together and celebrate the upcoming holidays, and often those social events include alcohol,” said Sheriff Provenzano. “We encourage establishments that serve alcohol to provide a free beverage option for those who make what could be a life-saving decision to forgo alcohol.”
The HERO Campaign seeks to register a million designated drivers nationally through its website (www.herocampaign.org) and to make the use of designated drivers as automatic as wearing a seatbelt.
For more information, call 1-866-700-HERO, contact Lt. Steve SanAntonio of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office at (908) 231-7168 or go directly to www.herocampaign.org
