Greater Enforcement of DUI Underway in New Jersey

April 16, 2013

Greater Enforcement of DUI Underway in New Jersey

Article provided by Sitzler & Sitzler
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The enforcement of drinking and driving laws in New Jersey is greater than ever before. Troopers and officers in south New Jersey are participating in a national drunk driving law enforcement effort called "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over." The effort focuses on greater enforcement of drunk driving laws around certain holidays and times of the year when more people are likely to consume alcohol and be out on the roads. For example, police in Winslow, New Jersey recently wrapped up a crackdown on drunk driving that focused on the weeks leading up to and the weekend after Labor Day.

Enforcement Effort in New Jersey

According to the Gloucester County Times, police in Winslow joined more than 10,000 agencies from across the country including officers in every state while participating in the recent enforcement push. Even though police and highway officers across New Jersey are always on the lookout for drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated, the purpose of the greater enforcement period is to have more officers on the look-out thereby supposedly creating a deterrent for bad driving behavior in the future.

During the push, Winslow police officials said their officers aggressively sought and arrested anyone suspected of driving impaired without exceptions. No matter the time of day or whether a driver walked away from a crash without causing injury, a person suspected of impaired driving was the target of arrest. Winslow and other police departments in New Jersey that participated in the event were also especially vigilant during high-risk times, such as during the night and on the weekends.

According to the Winslow Township Police Department, four times as many alcohol-impaired accidents occur at night than during daylight hours and twice as many alcohol-impaired accidents occur on the weekend than during the week. Participating police departments and agencies also used less discretion during the effort as applied to the age of drivers in order to encourage less risky driving behavior among young drivers. Drivers ages 21 to 24 suffer the highest rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities.

DUI/DWI Penalties in New Jersey

The ongoing drunk driving campaign also reminds drivers about the penalties they may face when convicted of drunk driving charges. In New Jersey convicted drivers face a combination of penalties including fines, jail time, loss of their driver's license, ignition interlock use, and community service. A first-time drinking and driving offender with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent but less than 0.10 percent faces the loss of his or her driver's license for three months, up to 30 days in jail, alcohol and driving school, and a series of fines and fees. The fees the offender may face are substantial and include:
-$500 to $1,000 fine
-$230 Intoxicated Driver Resource Center fee
-$1,000 per year surcharge for three years
-$75 to Neighborhood Services Fund
-$100 to Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund
-$100 to drunk driving fund

The legal penalties for drinking and driving in New Jersey increase for a BAC level beyond 0.10 percent and for repeat offenders. Because the penalties for drunk driving are so great, it's important officers follow proper procedure and respect the rights of those suspected of drinking and driving. If you have been charged with drinking and driving in New Jersey, contact an experienced DUI lawyer to protect your legal rights.