Arizona has a drinking problem.
Well, not so much a drinking problem as it is a drinking and driving problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 30 percent of traffic fatalities in Arizona are alcohol-related.
In response, the Arizona Legislature proudly passed the strictest DUI laws in the country, and enforcement began just over a year ago.
As you may know, the current laws put the “legal limit” for blood-alcohol content (BAC) at 0.08 and created a super extreme DUI charge. Punishments were escalated, including a mandatory ignition-interlock device for the auto of the convicted, even for first-time offenders.
The “legal limit,” however, is not aptly named. Another significant change is the elimination of a certain quantitative BAC requirement to charge you, so even if you try to be responsible, police can peg you. A friend of mine got a DUI after blowing a 0.06, and a co-worker at 0.07. There is no line to cross, just a shadow of one that seems to move depending on the disposition of the officer.
How does this work? Well, when you submit to the sobriety tests, police are collecting evidence to be used against you in court. It’s the reason he or she carries a clipboard and takes notes while you perform tasks designed to make you look like you’re playing a bad party game. If your performance is anything less graceful than that of a ballerina in “The Nutcracker Suite,” you’re probably going to jail.
Remember, even if you’re under 0.08, the state still needs revenue, and seeing blue and red lights in your rearview mirror is about as fun as a sharp stick in the eye.
Don’t get me wrong; drunken driving is a serious offense. One-third of all drunken driving deaths involve the 18 to 25 demographic, most likely because many of our weekends revolve around parties, clubs and bars — places where booze is the keystone. But a DUI charge based on an ambiguous law could set us back at a time when we’re working hard for our futures. Charles Barkley’s recovery won’t be as difficult as yours or mine.
The problem isn’t simply that people drive, it’s that they don’t have much choice. A designated driver is not always available, and taxicabs can get incredibly expensive.
Public transportation does not run late enough to ensure that people get home safe, and with the DUI laws failing to stop many inebriated motorists — holiday DUI numbers have only decreased by .5 percent, according to the Phoenix Business Journal — it is time to consider lengthening the hours.
The New York City Subway has 466 stations that are open 24/7. The last bus leaving the Tempe Transportation Center leaves at 1 a.m. By extending services, we can simultaneously decrease drunk driving and increase the money put into our ailing economy.
So you tell me: Whose judgment is truly impaired?
Ryan wants a safe ride home. Reach him at ryan.oneal@asu.edu.
