If you’ve had your driver’s license suspended due to drunk driving, you are face-to-face with the reality of how important motor vehicle travel is for people living in the United States. Without a car, you can’t get to work, you can’t get your children to school, you can’t go grocery shopping and there’s so much more that you can’t do. Granted, you could ride a bus, but this will likely waste hours and hours of your time waiting on the side of curb for the bus to eventually show up.
Knowing what the law says is the first step toward staying out of trouble. Here’s how New Jersey driver’s suspensions work as they relate to drunk driving:
- Anyone stopped for suspected drunk driving in New Jersey runs the risk of having their driver’s licenses suspended. In addition to a suspension, if convicted of DUI, you could face jail time, steep fines and other consequences.
- For drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of between .08 percent and .09 percent, the potential driver’s license suspension can last up to three months. For those who blew .10 percent or more, their driver’s license suspensions could be between seven months and a year.
- License suspensions will happen automatically following arrests and charges, before a conviction occurs. If you want to avoid this automatic suspension, you can ask for a hearing and try to make a case as to why a suspension is not appropriate.
With the aid and assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer, New Jersey residents accused of drunk driving may be able to avoid the embarrassing and difficult circumstance of having a suspended driver’s license.
