According to the NJ Intoxicated Driving Program’s 2012 Statistical Summary Report, published in May of 2013, Bergen County ranked first in total number of DUI arrests in 2011.

Of the 26,240 total arrests made for DUI in New Jersey in 2011, Bergen County came in first with a total of 2,578 DUI arrests. While Bergen is the county with the highest population in the state, the ratio of DUI arrests to the county’s total population was 0.0049. Meanwhile, Morris County ranked sixth, with 1,675 DUI arrests, a ratio of 0.0060 when compared with the population as a whole. Union County, Passaic County, and Mercer County ranked ninth, tenth, and eleventh on the list, respectively.

DWI in New Jersey is governed under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50. The statute provides for punishments with varying levels of severity, depending upon the individual’s blood alcohol content (BAC) and whether it is a first, second, or third offense. For a first offense, penalties are broken into two categories based on blood alcohol content. Penalties for violations of the first category, which involves a BAC between 0.08% and 0.10% may incur jail time of up to 30 days, fines of between $250 and $400, loss of driver’s license for three months, mandatory attendance at an alcohol education program at the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC), and required installation of an ignition interlock device on the person’s vehicle.

Clearly, DWI charges in New Jersey are extremely serious, with heavy penalties assigned to those convicted of these offenses. It is imperative that an individual charged with DWI speak with qualified legal representation in order to attain the most desirable outcome to their case.

For more information, read “The State of New Jersey’s 2012 Intoxicated Driving Program Report.”