Ensign John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers
New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety
www.njsaferoads.com
On Saturday, July 22, 2000, Bill
and Muriel Elliott, of Egg Harbor
Township New Jersey, received the
horrific phone call parents fear the
most. Their son, Navy Ensign John
Robert Elliott, had been killed in a
drunk driving crash.
The crash that took 21-year-old
Ensign Elliott’s life was caused by
a motorist who had been arrested
and charged with driving while
intoxicated earlier in the evening.
After being released to a friend,
the driver got back behind the
wheel, where he collided head-on
with John’s vehicle, killing both
of them. That evening, John and
his girlfriend Kristen, who was in
the car at the time of the crash and
survived, were on their way home
from Annapolis, Maryland to
celebrate his mother’s birthday.
Shortly after John’s death, the
Elliott family approached State
representatives about strengthening
New Jersey’s drunk driving laws.
The tragic loss of John’s life served
as the driving force behind the
Elliott’s commitment to ensuring
no other family would have to
endure the overwhelming sadness
and grief they now faced every day.
In September of 2000, the
John Elliott Law, now known as
John’s Law, was introduced in the
New Jersey Senate and Assembly.
The bill gave police the authority
to impound the vehicles of drunk
drivers for 12 hours. The law also required drunk drivers be detained
until they are sober or a friend or
relative takes legal written responsibility
for ensuring they do not get
behind the wheel while they are
still drunk. Both John’s father and
Kristen testified before the Legislature
and presented more than
8,500 signatures supporting the
bill. In April of 2001, John’s Law
was signed. A few years later, John’s
Law II was passed, giving municipalities
the authority to enact laws
that require police to make sure a
drunk driver remains in protective
custody for eight hours or until his
or her BAC drops below .05.
While John’s Law gave police
additional tools to keep drunk
drivers off the roadways, the Elliott
family also recognized the need for
increasing public awareness about
the horrific consequences of drunk
driving. With that in mind, the
family simultaneously launched the
HERO Campaign for Designated
Drivers. Designed to encourage
people to use a designated driver,
the campaign uses posters, bumper
sticker decals, billboards, and other
items to help spread the message of
staying safe and sober behind the
wheel.
Through the campaign’s Adopt-
A-Tavern Program, volunteers
encourage bar and tavern owners
to display the posters and other
collateral items, providing patrons
with vital information on drunk driving. Participating restaurants or
bars are encouraged to provide free
non-alcoholic drinks to designated
drivers and often sell HERO Campaign
wristbands to those wishing
to show their commitment to
being a designated driver.
The New Jersey Restaurant
Association, the New Jersey
Licensed Beverage Association and
the New Jersey Beer Wholesalers
have also supported the effort.
Along with restaurants and
taverns, the HERO Campaign has
successfully partnered with colleges
and universities, major sports
teams and many other public and
private entities, to further promote
the effort. The effort also includes
extensive use of highway billboards
across the country, as well
as nationally distributed television
public service announcements.
New Jersey was first in the
nation to become an official HERO
state. States across the nation have
followed New Jersey’s lead and
adopted similar campaigns,
including, most recently, New
York, which embraced the program
in March, 2008. To further
encourage national involvement
in the campaign, Governor Jon
S. Corzine co-signed a letter of
support with Delaware Governor
Ruth Ann Minner that was
distributed to their Democratic
counterparts in seven states. In
addition, the National Lieutenant
Governor’s Association Executive
Committee unanimously endorsed
the program in February 2008.
The New Jersey Division of
Highway Traffic Safety continues
to work closely with the Elliotts on
numerous drunk driving prevention
initiatives.
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