As anyone who has driven on Interstate 10 or Interstate 17 can tell you, the experience can be harrowing. Fast-moving cars populate those main arteries, often piloted by aggressive or distracted drivers.
When the fast-moving vehicles are tractor-trailers, the dangers to other motorists are magnified.
In Arizona, if you are pulled over by a police officer who suspects that you may have been driving under the influence of alcohol that officer has different ways to determine in his or her judgment whether you have in fact been engaged in drunk driving.
Arizona law with regard to drunk driving implements an escalating scale of severity for repeat offenses. While a single DUI can result in significant penalties, including mandatory jail time, fines, community service and suspension of driving privileges, being convicted of repeat violations or drunk driving under certain special circumstances enhances the severity of the punishments.
Last November, as she was driving through a tribal community, an Arizona State University student was pulled over by the tribal police. When asked whether she was carrying drugs or weapons in her car, she admitted to having marijuana. The authorities arrested the girl and charged her with drug possession and DUI.
As with many states, Arizona increases the severity of sanctions against drivers who are convicted of DWI offenses more than once within a specified time frame. In a blog post in mid-August this year we covered the possible penalties you could be subject to for a first time DUI conviction in Arizona.
