Arizona's 2011 Holiday DUI Task Force seems like it has become a more efficient machine this season, making 12,000 more traffic stops this year than 2010 and netting 2,840 suspected drunk drivers, reports The Arizona Republic.
Perhaps their shiny, new mobile DUI processing centers have helped?
Regardless of the reason, Arizona authorities were in contact with more motorists than last year. Looking at the numbers between Nov. 24 and Dec. 24, authorities reported making 46,200 traffic stops compared to 33,395 in 2010. Out of those stops, 18,000 were arrested for non-DUI related citations such as speeding.
Authorities also made more than 100 fewer DUI arrests this year than in 2010. Ninety percent of the DUI arrests were reportedly for DUI misdemeanors, according to The Republic. The average blood alcohol content for those arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence was 0.149, almost twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Underage DUIs still remain a problem for Arizona minors. Officers recorded 171 underage DUI arrests, up from 144 in 2010.
Alcohol was also likely a factor in the Christmas Eve wreck that killed 20-year-old Northern Arizona University student, Kyle Stein, reports The Republic.
"It's one thing to have someone die that young, but it was totally preventable," said Prescott Valley police Sgt. Brandon Bonney. "And to have it happen at Christmas, I think is particularly hard on the family."
Authorities are hoping their holiday DUI crackdown will prevent tragedies like the death of Kyle Stein. For more information on the Arizona DUI task force, see our Related Resources below.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- DUI Busts During Holiday Crackdown Fall 25 Percent (Associated Press)
- DUI Checkpoints (FindLaw)
- Southern AZ DUI Task Force Makes 52 Thanksgiving DUI Arrests (The Phoenix DUI Blog)
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