By the Numbers: Which Jersey Shore Town Arrests the Most People for DWI?

One of New Jersey’s most picturesque areas is the Jersey Shore, featuring 130 miles of coastline that spans from Sandy Hook to Cape May. The Jersey Shore’s beautiful beaches boast barrier islands and bays, complete with charming lighthouses, fishing villages, and scenic views. However, many people think of the Jersey Shore as seedy and debaucherous—a place overrun with clubbing, drinking, and partying. The MTV reality television show, “The Jersey Shore”, is a likely culprit for the negative connotations associated with the Jersey Shore. “The Jersey Shore” featured eight young adult housemates living in a shore house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. So, is Seaside Heights deserving of its bad rap as the party-central, boozy Jersey Shore town? It’s hard to say, but one interesting statistic to look at is the ranking of all 44 towns along the Jersey Shore from least to most Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI”) arrests made, according to the square mileage of the town. NJ.com published these rankings, using data obtained through the New Jersey Municipal Court statistics form July 2016 to June 2017. These statistics for each Jersey Shore town include DWI arrests made by both local and state police.

New Jersey takes driving while intoxicated very seriously. In New Jersey, the basic DWI offense entails operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (“BAC”) of 0.08 percent or higher. If you are driving with a BAC of 0.10 percent or higher, then you will be charged with an aggravated DWI and face enhanced penalties. If you are under the age of 21 (the legal drinking age in New Jersey), the legal BAC limit is 0.01 percent. If you have a commercial driver’s license, the legal BAC limit is 0.04 percent.

The Jersey Shore towns with the least amount of DWI arrests:

*44. Cape May Point (DWI arrests per square mile = 0; total DWI arrests = 0)

43. Barnegat Light (DWI arrests per square mile = 1.17; total DWI arrests = 1)

42. Berkeley Township (DWI arrests per square mile = 1.21; total DWI arrests = 68)

41. Upper Township (DWI arrests per square mile = 1.27; total DWI arrests = 81)

40. Spring Lake (DWI arrests per square mile = 1.74; total DWI arrests = 3)

The Jersey Shore towns with the most amount of DWI arrests:

*1. Seaside Heights (DWI arrests per square mile = 187.67; total DWI arrests = 140)

2. Wildwood City (DWI arrests per square mile = 100.43; total DWI arrests = 140)

3. Allenhurst (DWI arrests per square mile = 84.81; total DWI arrests = 24)

4. Deal (DWI arrests per square mile = 39.45; total DWI arrests = 52)

5. Bradley Beach (DWI arrests per square mile = 36.33; total DWI arrests = 23)

*In sum, for the reporting period of July 2016 to June 2017, the Jersey Shore town with the least amount of DWI arrests (based on square mileage of the town) was Cape May Point and the Jersey Shore town with the most of amount of DWI arrests (based on square mileage of the town) was Seaside Heights.

Have you been charged with a DWI in New Jersey? Even if this is your first DWI charge, there can be harsh consequences with potential penalties including fees and fines, driver’s license suspension, driver instruction courses at the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, increased insurance premiums, and jail time. There’s just too much at stake to go at it alone. Accordingly, it’s in your best interests to find an experienced and effective DWI attorney to represent you.

At the Law Office of Eric M. Mark, our DWI defense attorneys have extensive experience and qualifications in DWI defense and will do everything in their power to provide an aggressive defense for your New Jersey DWI case. To schedule an appointment for your free 15-minute initial consultation, contact us online here or you can reach us at:

Law Office of Eric M. Mark NEWARK OFFICE (by appointment only)
201 Washington St.
Newark, NJ 07102
Phone: (973) 453-2009

Law Office of Eric M. Mark JERSEY CITY OFFICE (by appointment only)
121 Newark Ave., Suite 515
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Phone: (201) 713-2227

Law Office of Eric M. Mark ELIZABETH OFFICE (by appointment only)
20 Commerce Dr., Suite 135
Cranford, NJ 07016
Phone: (908) 224-0442