In advance of the Labor Day holiday, local police in Morris County have begun to mount DUI checkpoints in various locations. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is being held in concert with a national effort to stem drunk driving. The campaign runs from August 21 through the Labor Day holiday weekend. DUI checkpoints will be found throughout the county, including in Mendham, Chester, and Rockaway townships. Police will also be deploying roving units tasked with finding intoxicated drivers, and people can report to the police on what they believe to be drunk drivers by dialing #77. 

Drunk driving incidents tend to occur more frequently surrounding summer holidays. The Division of Highway Traffic Safety estimates that, on average, one person is killed every 51 minutes in a drunk-driving-related crash. During the Labor Day weekend, however, one person is killed in a drunk driving crash every 30 minutes.

Authorities suggest that, if you plan to attend an event where you’ll be drinking, plan in advance so that you do not have to drive yourself home. Find a friend who will volunteer to be a designated driver, use public transportation, taxis, or a ride-sharing app such as Uber or Lyft, to get home at the end of the night. Even paying for a nearby motel room for the night is cheaper than the cost of getting convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. For a first-time DUI conviction in the state of New Jersey, an offender can expect to pay fines of up to $500, spend up to a month in jail, and undergo up to a year’s driver’s license suspension.

If you have been arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in New Jersey, contact the knowledgeable Morristown DUI defense attorneys at Smith & Doran for a consultation, at 973-292-0016.