Alcohol Use and Road Accidents in Arizona

It isn't easy to tell for sure what fraction of all road carnage cases is caused by alcohol. However, statistics show that someone dies every minute in US in a crash that is linked to alcohol. A study in 2003 showed that 40% of all road traffic accidents recorded were alcohol-related, with up to 25% of all the drivers involved having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) 0.01% or greater.

Therefore, though alcohol may not automatically cause road carnage, it is a catalyst for the same. About 43% of all drivers injured in road crashes while under alcohol intoxication are over speeding.

DUI Cases in Arizona

This year's Labor Day Holiday weekend in Arizona saw over 580 people arrested for DUI-related offenses. State laws in Arizona make it unlawful for a person to drive, or even be in actual physical control of an automobile with a BAC of 0.008 or greater within 2 hours of driving. The following are BAC levels that constitute a DUI in Arizona:

• For people below 21 years of age, there is absolute Zero tolerance on alcohol
• Above 21 years, a DUI will be issued for a BAC 0.08% or higher
• Under commercial circumstances, a DUI is issued for BAC of 0.04 or higher.

The DUI penalties in Arizona are as follows:

• For the first-time offenders - jail time of between 24 hours and 10 days, a base fine of $250 and license suspension for 90 to 360 days
• For second-time offenders - jail time of 30 days to 90 days, a base fine of $500 and a license suspension of up to 1 year
• For third-time offenders - jail time of not less than 4 months, a base fine of $750 and a license suspension of 1 year

For all DUIs in Arizona, an Interlock Ignition Device is required.

The Ignition Interlock Device (IID)

Similar to a breathalyzer, this device is installed on the car's dashboard, and the driver has to breathe on it for him or her to ignite the car. The IID detects the BAC of the driver and if it is above the programmed amount the vehicle will not start.

However, with all these measures in place, in 2008 in Arizona, there were 235 fatal accidents, in which the BAC of at least one of the involved drivers involved was 0.08% or higher. In the same year, 266 people were killed in accidents, whereby at least one of the involved drivers exhibited a BAC of 0.08% or higher. 63 people died in accidents in which at least one of the driver's BAC was between 0.01% and 0.07%. About 329 people died in accidents where at least one of the involved drivers bared a BAC of 0.01% and above.

Legal Matters Involving DUIs

Recently, a court ruling in a case involving Vi Ann Spencer, whose car hit a guardrail, made it impossible for prosecutors to use blood-test results from unwarranted tests as evidence against people who refuse to go to hospital. Therefore, if one does not voluntarily consent to the alcohol blood tests, this will constitute involuntary DUI evidence and thus, a prosecutor can't use it against you.
Besides alcohol, there are also other dangerous causes of road accidents. Use of cell phones when driving has particularly become a major cause of road carnage.

Disclaimer: The information on the topic herein is for educational considerations only. This has been provided by Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, as a source of information for viewers. The article content has not been reviewed by the law practice and was drafted by an independent creator. Any inaccuracies identified in the material aren’t the responsibility of Goldberg & Osborne and they assume no liability.