Arizona pays attention to drunk drivers. The state has strong laws against DUI. In fact, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) gives Arizona a 5-star rating – its highest – thanks to its embracing sobriety checkpoints, first-offender ignition interlock laws, and other measures.
One area in which Arizona goes beyond many states is in the classification of intoxication. Apart from the regular DUI designation – a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more, the state levies extra penalties for “Extreme” and “Super Extreme” DUI offenses.
First Extreme DUI
If you are arrested with a BAC of between .15 and .19, you are judged Extreme DUI. The penalties include:
- $2,500 fine plus jail costs and other fees
- 30 days jail. Part of this can be suspended if you have an ignition interlock installed in your vehicle
- Driving privileges suspended for 90 days minimum
- Ignition interlock required for 1 year
Second Extreme DUI
If you have the misfortune of being arrested again for Extreme DUI, you can look forward to further penalties:
- $3,250 fine plus jail costs and other fees
- 120 Days jail.
- Driving privileges suspended for 1 year minimum
- Ignition interlock required for 18 months
Super Extreme DUI
Arizona has a second category called Super Extreme DUI. Should you have a BAC of .20 or above (two and a half times the legal limit), you are in the Super Extreme range of offenders, and you can expect the penalties to be severe:
- $3,250 fine plus jail costs and other fees
- 6 months jail
- Driving privileges suspended for 1 year minimum
- Ignition interlock required for 2 years
Second Super Extreme DUI
A second Super Extreme conviction (after any DUI, not just Super Extreme) invokes the maximum penalty:
- $3,250 fine plus jail costs and other fees
- 45 Days jail.
- Driving privileges suspended for 90 days minimum
- Ignition interlock required for 18 months
Why these categories? Isn’t a standard DUI enough?
Apparently not. Statistics show that the majority of fatal alcohol-related crashes occur with drivers who are at the .15 level or above. With that amount of alcohol in one’s bloodstream, it is almost impossible to stay in one’s own lane. Muscle control is compromised, as is vision, hearing, and judgment.
In short, at extreme levels, you are a road disaster waiting to happen. Arizona, fortunately, is not content to wait, and so has especially harsh laws to discourage driving by people who have drunk a large amount of alcohol.
In Arizona, it doesn’t take extreme measures to avoid extreme punishment. Just don’t drink and drive, and you’ll be fine.