The Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and law enforcement and traffic-safety partners announced today its participation in the annual national “Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest” DUI Crackdown that begins Aug. 15th, and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1st. During this three-week campaign, Arizona's DUI Task Forces around the state will be out in force to remove impaired drivers. Last year’s campaign resulted in 858 DUI arrests, including 323 for extreme DUI, and 80 impaired drivers under the age of 21.
And since nearly 50% of fatalities on Arizona’s waterways involve alcohol (which is slightly more than the 45% of traffic-related deaths that involve alcohol), GOHS and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) have created a joint campaign to educate motorists and boaters about the dangers of Operating Under the Influence (OUI) as well as driving impaired.
"Impaired driving and boating are serious offenses and perpetrators should expect the consequences to be equally serious,” said Governor Janet Napolitano. “It makes sense for Arizonans to be responsible and designate drivers for both motor vehicles and watercraft. In addition, underage drinking continues to be the number one substance abuse issue facing youth in Arizona, and adults need to set a positive example.”
Adults and youth should know that the legal drinking age in Arizona is 21, and officers will be citing offenders appropriately. During last year’s crackdown, 217 minors were cited around the holidays for underage consumption. Adults are often unaware that the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) for those under 21 year of age is .00, not .08 as is the legal limit for those over 21. In addition, parents and other adults can be cited for providing alcohol to minors, and can learn more at drawyourline.com. Regardless of age, impaired driving will not be tolerated in Arizona, and motorists need to remember that you can be cited “if you’re impaired to the slightest degree.”
"Over the next couple of weeks leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend—and every time you get behind the wheel, whether it’s a vehicle or boat—make sure the driver is sober or find another safe mode of transportation,” said GOHS Director Richard Fimbres. “For those who don’t make the right, safe decision, law enforcement will be out in force to remove these dangerous, deadly drivers from Arizona's roadways and waterways.”
Due to recent legislation, penalties for boating while impaired almost mirror those of driving under the influence, including mandatory jail time for all offenders. Through this partnership, GOHS and AGFD, with the participation of 18 Arizona law enforcement agencies, produced a series of public service announcements (in English and Spanish) called “OUI/DUI Working Together” that will be airing this month and throughout the boating season. The goal is to increase OUI/DUI awareness and advise the public that driving or boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated in Arizona. On the waterways, 357 boaters were arrested statewide in 2007 for operating under the influence. OUI? DUI? Expect the Max.
"Boating while impaired continues to be a critical problem and a high-priority target enforcement objective for watercraft law enforcement officers,” said Mike Senn, Assistant Director of Field Operations for AGFD. “This partnership will only enhance Game and Fish’s Boat Safe, Boat Smart, Boat Sober campaign because statewide law enforcement agencies are conveying one message for everyone, and that is, if you are caught on the water operating a boat while intoxicated, you will suffer very similar consequences as if you were caught driving a car drunk.”