| Arizona has had an extremely high rate of vehicle | | | | glass o wine or 1 ounce (a shot) or hard liquor. As a |
| crashes and deaths associated with drunk driving. In | | | | guide a person that weighs 200 pounds can have |
| fact in 2008, 6757 Alcohol related crashes in Arizona | | | | approximately 3 alcoholic units before becoming |
| and this caused 324 deaths on the road. Because of | | | | impaired and 4 units before becoming legally drunk. A |
| the high number or alcohol related crashes and deaths, | | | | person that weighs 120 pounds can only have 1 |
| Arizona officials have come down hard on "Drunk | | | | alcoholic unit before becoming impaired, or 2 before |
| Drivers". The penalties for DUI (Driving under the | | | | becoming legally drunk. Of course this is a guideline |
| influence) in Arizona are extreme, but hopefully this will | | | | only. |
| lead to safer roads for the public at large. | | | | What is the penalty for drunken driving in Arizona? |
| So what is illegal in Arizona? | | | | For your first DUI conviction you may be fined $250. |
| The State of Arizona law prohibits driving if you have | | | | You may also have to pay a surcharge of $200 and |
| an alcohol level of 0.08 or more in your bloodstream. If | | | | $500 for an assessment. If you are sentenced to jail |
| you drive a commercial vehicle, you may not have an | | | | you will serve a minimum of 24 hours up to 10 days. |
| alcohol level in your blood stream of more than 0.04. It | | | | Your license may be suspended for 90-360 days and |
| is also illegal for someone under the age of 21 to drive | | | | the court may order the installation of an Ignition |
| with ANY alcohol in their system. That means that if | | | | interlock device. This is a device that is connected to |
| you are underage, you cannot drive at all, even if you | | | | your ignition. You will only be able to start your car by |
| have only had one drink. You are also not allowed to | | | | breathing into it first. It will only work if you have not |
| drive at all if you have any traces of illegal drugs in | | | | consumed any alcohol at all. For second or 3rd DUI |
| your body. | | | | Offenses, you will be fined much more, anything up to |
| How do you know what your blood alcohol level is? | | | | a $750 fine with a surcharge of $600. The minimum |
| This is a tough question. Your alcohol blood level is | | | | prison sentence is also 4 months with a 3rd time |
| dependent on your weight and body fat percentage, | | | | offense and your license will be suspended for a |
| so it differs from person to person. You can find | | | | minimum of a year. The court will also order you to |
| charts on the web that give good guidelines as to how | | | | install the ignition interlock device into all your vehicles |
| much alcohol is in your blood stream. Most guides | | | | before you drive again. |
| agree that 1 alcohol unit is equal to 1 beer or 1 3 ounce | | | | |