Anyone who has driven the highways in New Jersey knows that it is not an easy feat. This is especially true when you are entering a cloverleaf. The roads can be hectic at best and chaotic at worst. When you add alcohol to the mix, it can even become deadly. Drinking and driving is never a good idea, especially if you are going to go out on the freeway.
Driving While Intoxicated In New Jersey
New Jersey has some of the strictest driving while intoxicated (DWI) laws in the nation. With laws that are specifically based on the amount of alcohol registering in your blood, first time offenders can face varying degrees of fines, loss of license, time spent in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC), and possible incarceration.
New Jersey also imposes a three year insurance surcharge of $1,000.00 for first time offenders. This is in addition to any increase in insurance premiums that your insurer places on you for being convicted of DWI. These penalties swiftly increase with each offense and third time offenders face the possibility of losing their license for life.
Of course, your stay at the IDRC is not free. You will also be required to pay to have your license reinstated, and if you are required to serve probation or community service, you will also have to pay fees for these programs. If the Court requires you to place an ignition interlock device on your car, you will have to pay for the device and the installation. You will also have to pay to have this removed at the end of your requirement.
It should also be noted that drivers found to have a drinking or drug problem while they are staying at the IDRC, may also find themselves facing a Court mandated 16-week stay in a rehabilitation center at their own expense.
What To Do If You Are Arrested For DWI In New Jersey
If you are arrested in New Jersey for DWI, it will be in your best interest to hire a New Jersey DWI attorney. The punishments and financial consequences of a DWI conviction are just too steep to risk self-representation.
An attorney can make sure that your rights are fully protected throughout the process, and may even be able to find a way to prove that the arrest was incorrect. If the arrest still stands, the attorney may be able to convince the Court of mitigating circumstances that will allow them to reduce the charges and penalties.
With so much at stake when you are arrested for a DWI in New Jersey, it is safe to say that the best choice would be to avoid driving if you have anything to drink, even if you feel that you are not intoxicated. New Jersey roads can be dangerous and frustrating enough without the added burden of diminished reaction time or ability to concentrate.
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