DUI enforcement in Arizona is about to become more aggressive
No one needs to tell you that drunk driving is a mistake. Not only may you seriously injure yourself and others in an alcohol-related car crash, but you may face stiff legal penalties if your blood alcohol concentration is above Arizona’s 0.08% legal limit. Even worse, enforcement of the state’s DUI laws is about to become more aggressive.
On October 4, 2019, the Arizona Department of Public Safety announced that it had received an $80,000 grant from the DUI Abatement Council to step up statewide enforcement. As such, your odds of a DUI arrest may be higher now than ever before.
An increase in DUI patrols
As you may suspect, patrol officers in Arizona are often busy. According to the Arizona DPS press release, officers must help stranded motorists, investigate crashes, attend court proceedings, deal with administrative documentation and perform other everyday tasks. Further, DUI arrests often take a significant amount of an officer’s time. The new grant allows for increased patrols, as it covers overtime costs for officers.
Targeted enforcement
Naturally, law enforcement professionals want to use grant money to reduce the number of intoxicated drivers on state roadways. While you may face a DUI arrest anywhere in the Grand Canyon State, the DPS plans to use grant money for targeted enforcement. That is, patrols are likely to increase in areas where statistics indicate motorists tend to drink and drive. The DPS has not announced where those areas are, however.
An aggressive campaign
Finally, the DPS intends to use increased funds for an aggressive DUI-prevention campaign that runs through the end of the year. There are often more DUI arrests on and around holidays. Because the increased funding covers Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, you must be careful to call a cab, take a rideshare or rely on friends for transportation to and from holiday festivities.
There is never a good time to drink and drive. Still, because of the new grant, intoxicated driving during the next few months may be riskier than ever. Therefore, if you choose to consume alcohol, you must have a plan to avoid a DUI conviction.
