Laws to lower nationwide DUI limit may have little impact on drivers in Arizona
In Arizona, the laws and rules of drunk driving are some of the nation’s strictest, therefore, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) recommendation to decrease the nationwide standard BAC level limit could have little impact on drivers in the state.
NTSB has recommended that all states decrease the legal limit of BAC from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent in an effort to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities caused each year by drunk driving, but experts believe that the recommendation of NTSB would have little effect on the drivers in Arizona because the present laws related to drunk driving in this state are already tough.
Strict DUI laws in Arizona
Director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Alberto Gutier, said that Arizona has the nation’s strictest DUI laws and toughest DUI enforcement according to a CBS News report.
According to the drunk driving law in Arizona, it is illegal to drive while “impaired to the slightest degree” by any intoxicant or substance that affects the thinking ability of a person. Due to this reason, a police officer has all the rights to charge a driver with DUI even if his /her blood or breath test shows his/her BAC level well below the standard 0.08 percent which is allowed for driving.
Tough laws related to DUI drugs
In Arizona, a police officer can also charge a person with driving under the influence offense if there is any detectable level of drugs in his/her body, regardless of whether the driver shows any signs of impairment at the time of interaction with the officer or not.
Different drugs have different effects; many drugs leave traces and remain detectable in the body of a human being long after their intoxicating effects diminish. So, the people in Arizona who use drugs face a high risk of DUI even if they care a lot and avoid driving while intoxicated.
Extreme & Super Extreme DUI
Everyone knows that a driver with low BAC level can be charged with DUI in Arizona and a convicted DUI driver faces penalties, but a driver with a high BAC level is charged with Extreme DUI and faces strict criminal penalties. Drivers with BAC level of 0.15 percent or more are charged with Extreme DUI and drivers with a BAC level of 0.20 percent or more are charged with Super Extreme DUI in Arizona. The penalties for Super Extreme DUI are harsher than the penalties of Extreme DUI, which are harsher than the penalties of a DUI conviction.
Penalties of DUI in Arizona
A driver with a BAC level below 0.10 percent convicted of DUI for the 1st time can face up to 6 months in prison with suspension of their driving license for 1 year and fines of up to $2,500.
Drivers convicted of Extreme or Super Extreme DUI for the 1st time can face cancellation of driving license and may also face mandatory prison time. They can also face high fines.
Repeat DUI offenders face harsher penalties as is the case if any drunk driver drives with a suspended license or with a child passenger in the vehicle.
Contact a DUI attorney if arrested or charged for DUI in Arizona
In Arizona, a DUI conviction can produce life changing consequences. So to protect your legal rights, it is necessary to contact and get help from a DUI attorney if anyone is arrested on suspicion of drunk driving or drugged driving. A DUI lawyer can help in lessening the negative consequences of the DUI arrest. In some driving under the influence cases, an expert DUI defense lawyer may be able to negotiate with prosecutors to have the charges dropped or decreased, and he/she can advocate on the offender’s behalf in favor of lighter sentences in the event of conviction.
