As the weather cools, Phoenix residents are beginning to make plans to enjoy time with friends and upcoming holiday celebrations. At many of these gatherings, alcohol will be served.

Sometimes, we see wrecked cars which are the result of people driving while impaired. The cost is steep: about 30 people die each day in the U.S. from an alcohol-related traffic fatality. Even when a death isn’t involved, the consequences of drunk driving can be extreme.

Arizona DUI laws

Arizona has established a legal limit of 0.08 percent; however, you can be charged (and convicted) of DUI in Arizona with any alcohol in the body if you are driving while “impaired to the slightest degree.” A.R.S 28-1381

Arizona has the most stringent drunk driving laws of any state in the country and has no problem keeping law enforcement personnel busy with enforcing it.

Consequences (in Arizona)

Jail time- min. 24 hours max ten days
Ticket/legal difficulties $250 base fine
License suspension 90 days-360 days
Ignition interlock on the vehicle-required

Here are some other possible consequences:

Lawyer costs
Court costs
Fines
Loss of insurance/SR22

Any of these items singularly are of serious consequence, but in the case of drunk driving, it’s highly likely that an individual will have some or even most of these consequences.

Youth

Younger people have a harder time dealing with the effects of alcohol. We know this because they’re more likely to be involved in an accident when their alcohol level is lower than an older person. For this reason, older people can set an example for younger people.

Ways to be a prudent host

If you’re hosting a party and intend to serve alcohol, it’s you prerogative to limit the amount or the time when alcohol is served.

“Before my Thanksgiving dinner, I made Electric Smurfs, one for every guest. That was the only alcohol I served, and, since it was before the meal, I knew everyone would be sober by the time they left,” one hostess revealed.

Some hosts opt to not serve alcohol at all.

Have a driver

Hosts can make sure their drinking guests have a driver, either one person from each car as the designated driver or one who is available to take guests home. It is perfectly acceptable to call a Lyft for guests and have it charged to your account. Just let the driver know.

Let guests sober up

If you serve alcohol, you can also plan on having people stay over until they sober up. This plan can be anything from an activity such as board games to a full-blown slumber party. This site explains the way alcohol metabolizes and factors which influence how quickly or slowly a person recovers from the effects of intoxication. Since it’s a chemical response with many different factors involved, it’s not a simple math problem.

Some other tips

Some ways to balance alcohol consumption is to plan for plenty of food. Food slows the effects of alcohol in the system.

Another great plan is to have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available and introduce them at various times during the party. Water, soda, juice, coffee, tea, and other drinks can dilute the effects of alcohol.

If you are driving your car to an event where alcohol will be served, have a plan. 1) Drink minimally. 2) Stay until you’re sober again. 3) have someone else drive you home. 4) call a Lyft or cab.

The good news is that we see Arizona drivers becoming smarter about avoiding drunk driving. Not only are people less inclined to urge drinks on others or let them drive drunk, but drivers are also less willing to drive when they’ve been drinking. As a result, alcohol-related fatalities are dropping, and we hope this trend will continue.

If you are in the Phoenix Metro area and want a no-hassle cash offer on an old, wrecked, unwanted, salvage or burned car, SUV, van or truck, give us a call at I Buy Junk Cars 480-771-8290.