New Jersey to get federal funds for increased DWI enforcement

The efforts of two New Jersey senators mean that the state Division of Highway and Traffic Safety will soon be receiving four different grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation totaling nearly $5 million. Of that total, nearly $3 million will be targeted toward law enforcement efforts to crack down on drunk driving.

The consequences of a drunk driving conviction can be very severe. A first offense alone can result in hundreds of dollars in fines, suspension of driving privileges for up to a year, mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device and annual driver’s license surcharges of $1,000 for the next three years.

Second and third offense DWI convictions carry even steeper penalties. A second conviction within ten years results in a two year suspension of driving privileges and up to 90 days in jail. A third conviction can mean a loss of driving privileges for 10 years and up to 180 days in jail. In both cases, the convicted offender is required to maintain and pay for an ignition interlock device during the entire period of license suspension and for as long as three years afterward.

A New Jersey drunk driving conviction comes at a high price. Readers in the Cape May and Atlantic County areas should know that they have rights and options in the wake of a DWI arrest. An experienced defense attorney may be able to identify errors in police or prosecutorial procedures that can provide a defense to drunk driving charges and, in some cases, lead to dismissal of DWI charges.

Source: The Record, “N.J. will receive $5M in grants to combat drunk driving, improve safety,” Karen Rouse, Oct. 12, 2012