September 4, 2001 - New Arizona Law Makes It Easier To Nab Drunken Drivers

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On Saturday, September 1, 2001 Arizona lowered its DUI alcohol blood level requirements. Over the Labor Day weekend, the new level for presumed alcohol impairment dropped from 0.10 to 0.08, making it easier to be convicted of a DUI, a felony offense in the state.

Sgt. Ed Slechta, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, who has arrested about 1,500 people for drunken driving since he became a Highway Patrol Officer in 1965, is a president of the DUI Task Force. He said that while officers applaud the new law, most of the 101 adults arrested by the team over the Labor Day weekend had an alcohol level of about 0.187.

In all, 1,203 motorists were stopped over the weekend. 12 drivers under 21 were arrested for drunk driving. "Friday, traffic couldn't have had a mouse out there without getting squashed," Slechta said. However, most people did not measure at 0.08 or 0.09. Slechta said officers are trying to prove one thing to the public: "Vehicles and alcohol don't mix. They mix, but in collisions. That's the wrong mix out there."

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Joseph J. Bernardo, P.A. handles all types of Personal Injury cases including: Automobile Accidents, Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Insurance Bad Faith, Nursing Home Abuse, Airplane Accidents, Dog Bites, Drunk Driving Injuries, Large Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, School Bus Accidents, Slip and Fall Accidents.