A few weeks ago, we wrote on how the Thanksgiving holiday was the gateway to the holiday driving season. Essentially, this meant that additional drunk driving patrols would be showing up across New Jersey highways. With Christmas coming next week, it is expected that people will be taking to the road once again to travel.
Like the Thanksgiving holiday, there is an increased motivation to keep the roads safe for drivers and to limit the possibility that tragic drunk driving accidents could occur. Accidents during the holiday season have a unique effect on the public, and it is reasonable to believe that law enforcement agencies face additional pressure during this time of year to prevent drunk driving crashes.
Because of this, we encourage our readers to enjoy the holidays responsibly. Like the public service announcements, drunk driving does not strictly mean that one is sloppily drunk while behind the wheel. Instead “buzzed driving” or “driving while tipsy” may be enough to lead to criminal charges. Under New Jersey law, a person could be charged with a crime if he or she is driving (or could be in control of a vehicle) with a blood alcohol content of .08 or above.
Should an offending driver be convicted of drunk driving, the driver could face thousands of dollars in fines and potential time behind bars. Given these potential consequences, it is essential that a driver charged with a DUI have an experienced attorney at their side.
The preceding is not legal advice. Questions about your specific situation should be directed to an attorney.
