by KYW's Amy Feldman
New Jersey is following the leads of many other states by trying a new tactic in its arsenal to end drunk driving: collection of last drink data.
New Jersey is the latest jurisdiction to adopt a policy of asking someone stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence where they were served their last drink. Because commercial drinking establishments are obligated by law not to serve visibly intoxicated people, the last drink question is designed to allow law enforcement to focus on establishments repeatedly named by arrestees.
As you can imagine, bars and restaurants fear that drinkers who actually came from gentlemen’s establishments will falsely name other establishments, and they are concerned that it will harm their business as patrons worry that undercover officers will be more likely to visit. Regulators point out that they only penalize the establishments that they catch in the act of serving the obviously intoxicated or other violations of law.
Best bet, of course, is to hop into a cab—or give a ride to someone who has been drinking--during this holiday season or anytime to avoid the kind of scrutiny you could clearly do without.
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