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Drunk driving laws in the state of Arizona

On Behalf of | Sep 25, 2014 | Drunk Driving Accidents |

Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents recorded in Arizona. Under Arizona law, the legal limit for blood alcohol content is set at 0.08 percent for non-commercial drivers, while the BAC for commercial vehicle drivers is set at 0.04 percent.

Many public awareness campaigns have been conducted by the nation as well as the state of Arizona in the past. These campaigns have had some limited success with the national percentage of alcohol related car fatalities dropping from 57 percent in 1982 to 41 percent in 2002. In 2001, Arizona reported 488 alcohol related fatal car accidents. There were also 7,756 drunk driving accidents where the driver was found to have a BAC level of 0.01 percent or higher.

This significant rate of drunk driving accidents has cost the state millions of dollars. It has directly affected public health costs and called and forced the development of stricter laws against drunk driving accidents. Nowadays, a drunk driver may have his or her driver’s license suspended or revoked for causing an accident.

Additionally, heavy fines may also be imposed on a drunk driver. In some cases where the driver had a prior history or has caused major injuries, he or she may even receive a prison sentence. But even these punishments do not help victims of such car accidents recover from their injuries. There are, however, legal professionals who can help accident victims seek compensation in order to cover medical costs as well as other damages from the drunk driver and his or her insurance.

Source: azdps.gov, “Impaired Driving,” accessed on Sept. 16, 2014