What began as a program to curb holiday drunk driving will now be made permanent as Middlesex County in central New Jersey has decided to conduct year-round DWI/DUI checkpoints.
DWI/DUI checkpoints are expensive. They entail overtime pay for police officers and equipment for constructing the road blocks. To help offset these expenses, the New Jersey State Office of Highway Traffic Safety has granted $43,000 to the DWI/DUI checkpoint program, which will feature police being randomly stationed across Middlesex County to conduct the DWI/DUI checkpoints.
Forty-two deadly accidents occurred in Middlesex County last year. While only a fraction were related to drug or alcohol intoxication, a large number of those incidents involved young drivers, specifically those between 17 and 21.
