A report out from the personal finance website WalletHub claims that New Jersey’s DWI laws and enforcement are among the most lenient in the nation.
This will come as a surprise to the thousands of New Jersey drivers who’ve been caught up in the cycle of a DWI conviction, a license suspension, being caught driving on a suspended license, and ending up off the roads – or, more likely, driving illegally – and facing a seemingly endless period of suspension and fines.
WalletHub ranked states according to a variety of metrics and found that New Jersey, where DWI is a traffic offense rather than a criminal offense, came in 45th among the states in terms of criminal penalties, but 13th in terms of minimum jail time for a first offense and 6th in the nation for how long past DWI convictions will factor in subsequent charges.
That alone should tell us there’s something screwy with their analysis. We also rank 11th in average insurance rate hikes after a DWI conviction, and 14th for minimum fines for a first offender.
The truth of the matter is that New Jersey has some of the most unforgiving DWI laws in the nation.
Because our state doesn’t allow for conditional or hardship licenses once you’re convicted, many drivers are forced to take to the road without a license to get to work, school, and take care of their families.
This puts them at risk of additional penalties if they’re caught driving on a suspended license, including additional periods of suspension and ever-increasing fines.
It’s a trap that’s caught far too many drivers in our state.
If you’re facing charges for DWI and related offenses, don’t kid yourself that this isn’t a serious matter.
An experienced New Jersey DWI defense attorney is your best shot at protecting yourself down the line.
Don’t be caught in New Jersey’s DWI traps.
Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9660 for a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey DWI defense lawyer.
