As a driver, it is your responsibility to obey every roadway rule and traffic law set in place in Arizona. Breaking even a minor traffic law is an infraction that could lead to fines or stiffer penalties, such as criminal charges.
According to state data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Arizona witnessed 2,912 deaths from drunk driving between 2003 and 2012. During those years, Arizona ranked slightly higher than the national average for deaths from drunk driving across all age groups.
Drunk driving and drowsy driving can share similar characteristics, especially to the casual observer. In fact, driving after 24 hours of wakefulness is the equivalent of driving with a .10 blood alcohol content (BAC), according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Driving under the influence (DUI) is illegal in all 50 states, and each state has a unique process for handling DUI cases. Arizona’s DUI laws enforce the federal blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of .08% for individual drivers and .04% for commercial drivers.
A DUI arrest is a serious matter, and it’s important to know what to do if you find yourself in such a situation. Regardless of whether you’ve been drinking before driving, your conduct during a DUI arrest can influence your sentencing and legal options following the arrest.
