The total number of arrests for a DUI in Arizona has dropped this last year for the first time in the past decade, according to new data from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, who coordinates a statewide task force targeting drunk drivers.
In 2013, more than 29,000 Arizona DUI arrests were made by the officers participating in the task force, this is 3,000 less arrests than 2012. Of the 29,000 arrests, authorities made around 4,000 DUI arrests during the 2013 holiday season, which began November 25th through the end of the year.
Due to about 5,000 less officers and deputies participating in the task force the total number of traffic stops dropped from 875,000 in 2012 to about 765,000 in 2013, according to the Office of Highway Safety. This decrease in traffic stops and participating officers could explain the decrease in DUI arrests in 2013.
However, according to Alberto Gutier, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, this decrease could also be attributed to the State’s efforts to educate the public as to the significant consequences associated with drinking and driving.
Arizona has some of the harshest DUI laws in the country, and these cases are among the most aggressively prosecuted in the State. If you are charged with a DUI in Arizona you will face mandatory jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, substantial fines, and the installation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle.
