Many Americans might have spent a lot of time indoors since quarantine orders were set into motion. Regardless of these orders, NHTSA reports that traffic fatalities still rose, with a 14$ spike.
The NHTSA also reported that more than 64% of drivers with serious injuries were found to have drugs or alcohol in their systems.
It is very clear that regardless of the fact people might be driving less, states like New Jersey may not have eradicated the epidemic of drunk driving.
As many residents in New Jersey gain access to vaccines and begin venturing out more, there is an uptick in reckless behaviors, including driving while drunk.
What Happens in the Case of DWI/DUI
The start for formal DWI or DUI criminal cases against you starts with the arrest. Unlike most movies, police officers who signal for you to pull your car over might have a great reason for it.
This might be that your car was swaying from one side to another, or you forgot to use indicators while driving. The officers should explain these reasons before carrying out the arrest. Apart from this, other things that can happen are:
- Facing charges
- Arraignment hearing
- Discovering evidence
- Facing trial
Drug Landscape
After every two minutes, someone in the US gets a drunk driving injury. According to MADD and NHTSA, the next several minutes after an accident, there is also a DUI/DWI death.
Although DUI fatalities have reduced in New Jersey since 1980, drunk driving accidents still stagger more frequently. In general, 300,000 of these accidents happen daily, but only 4,200 of the individuals involved in those accidents get arrested.
Jail Time and Penalties
Probably, the first and obvious penalty for having a DWI or DUI case is facing a jail sentence. Those convicted are usually expected to spend several days in jail, with first-time offenders staying in jail for 30 days.
However, repeat offenders have more chances of spending many days and even face serious penalties, like license revocation.
Highest Crashes by Time of Day vs. Day of the Week
Knowing when impaired driving accidents are likely to happen will help law enforcement in New Jersey when to crack down on every drunk driver. Naturally, the highest percentage of car accidents happen on weekends, from around 10 pm to 2 am.
It makes sense that these kinds of accidents are common on weekends when many individuals visit nightclubs and hang out with their friends. Efforts and programs to deal with drunk driving need to concentrate on these peak periods.
Fatal Alcohol-Related Accidents Heat Map
If you take a look at the fatal alcohol-related collisions heat map, you will realize red dots, which represent serious impaired-driving accidents in New Jersey.
Consider this – all red dots you see in the New Jersey heat map represents lives lost. Virtually, these accidents happen in every area in the state.
Closing Remarks!
More than 100 police departments in New Jersey have access to funds amounting to $550,000 for the crackdown of the state on DUI slated to start immediately.
This cash, delivered through overtime grants from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, is expected to bring on desk support, which departments need to target offenders.