Category: Drunk Driving Accidents

Earlier this month an intoxicated driver caused a terrible head-on collision on Interstate 17 at Dixileta Drive in Phoenix. An alleged drunk motorist who was driving the wrong way in a Jeep northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 17 collided with another SUV while going about 65 mph.

The mother and daughter unfortunately sustained life-threatening injuries, including severe head trauma to the mother who is had to undergo surgery.

The intoxicated driver was also injured, but not as bad as the occupants of the other car. He is reportedly being charged with suspicion of aggravated assault and criminal damage. Police believe the driver was impaired at the time of the crash, that according to a DPS spokesperson. Police say the driver also has a prior record for DUI. The accident was significant enough to close several lanes of the interstate for 2 hours for a police investigation.

Drunk driving accidents are an ongoing problem in the Valley of the Sun and across the United States. Most years over 30% of drivers killed in accidents who are ages 25 through 34 are intoxicated. In the year 2007, nationwide one in seven people killed in DUI accidents were under the age of 21, therefore not even old enough to consume alcohol legally.

Injuries caused by intoxicated drivers can be especially upsetting to victims. This in part is because the accident was caused by an intentional act. Someone consumed too much alcohol and intentionally operated a vehicle, putting everyone on the roadway in jeopardy.

Like other parts of the country, motorists continue to drive while intoxicated even though there is a widespread public safety campaign in Arizona intended to reduce the amount of drunk drivers. This message is being spread by radio and television spots, and public service announcements in various forms.

Further, Arizona’s DUI laws are pretty tough. A first offense is a class I misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and up to five years probation. A first-time extreme DUI offender (BAC of .15 or higher) has to serve a minimum 30 day jail sentence.

Even with this public relations campaign and Arizona’s tough DUI laws, the problem continues. Every year in Arizona approximately 15,000 people are injured and 300 are killed due to the negligent acts of drunk drivers.

Even more upsetting is the fact that, like in this accident, often the victims sustain more serious injuries than the drunk driver. This is sometimes due to the fact that the drunk driver may be traveling at a high rate of speed, slamming into a slower moving or stopped vehicle.
Continue reading “Mother and daughter seriously injured by a drunk driver in Phoenix”

If Washington lawmakers are successful, drunk driving accidents in Phoenix would decrease due to harsher sanctions for first-time DUI offenders.

The bill, working its way through a number of house committees, would offer states money – millions of dollars – if they impose the new rules. Most notable among those rules is the requirement for first-time offenders to pay to have a breath device installed that would measure the amount of alcohol in their blood before they could turn the car on.

Our Phoenix car accident lawyers know that the Arizona courts already use this program — called the Ignition Interlock Program — for people who have been convicted of more than one DUI. If the new law were passed, first-time DUI offenders would be required to use it too, if the state wanted access to the millions of dollars in federal grant money.

What’s at stake is a share of $25 million, which would be doled out among qualifying states for various highway safety projects.

Some argue the bill would cost participating states more to implement than it would be worth. The most vocal critic, up until now, has been the American Beverage Institute (for obvious reasons).

An ABI spokeswoman even likened the bill to bribery, saying it was especially unfair to make this strings-attached proposal amid a struggling economy.

However, we would ask you to consider this: According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, for the average first-time DUI offender, the arrest isn’t the first time they have ever driven impaired. It’s merely the first time he or she has been caught. The advocacy group determined the typical first-time DUI offender has driven drunk about 80 times prior to that first arrest.

What’s more, according to the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, the interlock device program decreases the chances of another drunk driving offense, especially when it’s paired with some other service program, for as long as the device is being used.

In Arizona, it’s the offenders who are responsible to pay to have the machines installed if they want driving privileges. There is a list of approved providers, and it costs about $400 – not including court fines and fees.

In addition to the increased punishment for first-time drivers, the new bill would also spell out specific penalties for people with multiple DUI convictions. Right now, judges have the option of taking away the driver’s license for a full year or making the driver install the breath machine for 12 months, and allowing that person certain driving privileges, such as work and school.

A draft of the bill outlines very specifically the terms under which a repeat offender using the breath machine could drive.

In Arizona, those driving with the interlock device are limited to driving to the following places:

-Work.

-Home.

-School.

-Alcohol or drug treatment.

-Probation office.

-Doctor’s office.

-Am interlock device service center.

Drivers who break this rule or fail to have their device serviced every month face further penalties and fines.
Continue reading “Phoenix Drunk Driving Accidents Spur Call for Stiffer Penalties”

There are 6 new units that were unveiled at a recent news conference to help catch drunk drivers through the holidays. These new units were given to the Maricopa County, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Tuscon and the Phoenix Sheriff’s Offices, Scottsdale and the Department of Public Service office to help to combat drunk drivers during this year’s multi-agency Holiday DUI Task Force efforts, according to Cronkite News.

These mobile units act as processing centers where officers can conduct Breathalyzers and blood-alcohol tests, in addition to checking for search warrants. These units help to reduce the time that arresting officers spend processing those who are suspected of driving under the influence and frees up more time to help prevent drunk driving car accidents in Phoenix and elsewhere. The units cost more than $1 million and were purchased with federal money.”These trucks mean we can get out and get the next person off the road faster,” said Travis Mathews, officer for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Our Phoenix drunk driving car accident attorneys understand the need for increased patrolling efforts during holiday season. Each year, we see a large number of roadway fatalities during the month of December. Many of these accidents are alcohol-related. During this time of year, residents and visitors get to spend some time away from work and school and get to gather with friends and family members. What’s unfortunate isn’t the fact that more people drink during these joyous gatherings, but the fact that more people get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

In 2010, there were nearly 19,500 DUI arrests in Arizona. Nearly 4,000 of these arrests were during the holiday season. In 2010, there were nearly 200 people killed in the state because of alcohol-related car accidents.

Arizona isn’t the only one that’s beefing up enforcement efforts around the holidays. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that it will be launching its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is a nationwide campaign that involves thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. In 2010, there were nearly 10,500 people who died because of drunk driving accidents in the U.S. More than 400 of these fatalities occurred during the second half of December.

“Safety is our focus year round at DOT. But this holiday season, we’re stepping up our efforts to get drunk drivers off our roads and reminding Americans ‘drive sober, or get pulled over,’ ” said USDOT Secretary LaHood.

The USDOT reports that although the number of drunk-driving fatalities decreased in 2010, these accidents still accounted for one out of every three deaths on our roadways.

Transportation officials are urging states to push education and enforcement efforts to help to reduce the risks of alcohol-impaired accidents on our roadways. This year’s national campaign is accompanied by a $7 million national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over advertisement campaign. This campaign will be running from December 16th through January 2nd.

Residents are urged to be extremely cautious behind the wheel during the upcoming holidays. There’s never a reason to drink and drive. If you’re expecting to go out and to drink, please designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you can’t find a sober driver, consider getting a hotel room or staying at a friend’s house. Please be safe and responsible on our roadways through the remainder of the year. Have a safe and happy holiday season!
Continue reading “Officers Increase Enforcement to Help Curb Drunk Driving Accidents in Phoenix”