After Thanksgiving, a number of DUIs, or incidents of a driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, occurred around Arizona. Several reports of particularly dangerous incidents have been reported, with some people leaving their Thanksgiving dinners to end up in critical condition from a car crash involving a drunk driver. One case left around 30 people injured after a 73 year old man crashed into a building when behind the wheel with alcohol in his system. With these dangerous driving cases, Arizona state officials have issued a reminder as to the harsh rules they have against driving under the influence.
Arizona is a zero tolerance state when it comes to alcohol in the system while driving.
Some of Arizona’s laws regarding DUIs are the harshest in the country. One law that they have can even penalize people who are sitting and waiting out the alcohol that is in their system before they actually begin to operate their vehicle. With such harsh penalties, they hope to reduce the amount of DUIs, especially as the holiday season continues. It is common for DUIs to increase around this time of year, as people get carried away when celebrating with friends and family. Their biggest concern is with New Years Eve, so the reminder of the DUI penalties comes just in time for Arizona residents to prepare their celebrations accordingly.
What are some of the penalties for a DUI in Arizona?
For those who are caught drunk driving for the first time and have not caused any sort of damage to property or harm to others, after a conviction, they are sent to jail for 10 days. Additionally, they have their driving privileges suspended for six months and then have an interlock device (a car breathalyzer) installed in their vehicle for six months to a year. Lastly, they are subject to fines up to $1,250. All of these punishments could be longer for those caught driving under the influence that are under 21 years of age. Arizona does offer ways to reduce the jail time to just one day; the convicted person must complete a court-ordered alcohol screening, education, or treatment program.
All of the above punishments apply just to the standard first time conviction.
A standard DUI charge means the driver’s blood alcohol content is between 0.08% and 0.15%. If the driver operates as a cab, rideshare, or some other commercial driver, their legal limit ends at 0.04%. While the legal limit ends at 0.08% for non-commercial drivers, if a driver has a blood alcohol content within the legal confines, they can still be charged for a standard DUI if the officer deems the driver “impaired to the slightest degree.” This could be determined by a few different factors such as field sobriety tests, slurred speech, or the pattern of the driver’s driving. After the standard level, we reach the extreme DUI, which is when the driver’s BAC is between 0.15% and 0.20%. Drivers convicted of this offense for the first time are subject to 30 days in jail and up to $2,500 in Arizona fines.
There is also the super extreme DUI level and aggravated DUIs.
Other factors contribute to the sentencing too, for example driving under the influence with a child in the car affects the charge. Additionally, if the driver is a repeat offender, that is taken into consideration as well. Arizona state law does allow for a driver suspected of drunk driving to refuse a breathalyzer, but there are repercussions.
In order to avoid drunk driving, be sure to plan your night accordingly. If you are with a group, designate a reliable person to remain sober and be the designated driver. If you are not with a group or no one wants to be the driver, use rideshare services to safely get back home after a night of drinking.
