The costs of an Arizona DUI arrest can be staggering, a Phoenix TV station reported recently. The Arizona Department of Transportation says a first offense will result in a fine of thousands of dollars, plus the cost of required installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle, the classes, and MVD compliance.
One Valley driver said that after two driving under the influence arrests in 2016, he “was looking at $18,000 in in fines for both cases.” He looks back ruefully, noting that “all I had to do was call Uber, which would’ve been $8 to $10.”
Of course, drunk driving penalties are more than financial, as a couple of other drivers profiled in ABC 15’s report have learned. A woman was speeding in Phoenix with her young child in the car. Her blood alcohol content (BAC) was tested at 0.12 percent. (It’s illegal to drive in our state with a BAC of .08 percent and above.) She has been charged with aggravated DUI. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence.
A man who had six kids in his vehicle was he was pulled over by police in Mesa showed “numerous signs of impairment,” the arresting officer wrote. The man also faces an aggravated DUI charge.
The station says it examined area law enforcement data and found over a three-day period last month, 10 agencies reported 167 DUI events. ABC 15 used data from the police departments in Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Salt River, Surprise, Scottsdale and Tempe.
More than 40 percent occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. About 18 percent involve suspicions of “extreme DUI” (a BAC of 0.15 percent and above).
If you have been arrested for drunk driving, it’s important to act quickly. Speak with an attorney experienced in DUI defense who will fight to protect your wallet, freedom and driver’s license.
