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Arizona Ranks as the Strictest State for Drunk-Driving Enforcement

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A recent study ranked Arizona as the strictest state in the nation for drunk-driving enforcement. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, it has the longest minimum jail sentence for first-time offenders.

An initial DUI conviction in Arizona results in 10 days behind bars. It also requires the mandatory use of an interlock ignition device in the person’s car for at least a year. For a second infraction, jail time goes up to 90 days. A third strike is an automatic felony accompanied by a three-month license suspension, mandatory alcohol treatment and fines.

The study, conducted by the website WalletHub, also found Arizona was the second most successful state in drunk-driving prevention.

Drunk-driving fatalities have declined by half since the 1980s when authorities across the U.S. expanded DUI enforcement. However, it’s still responsible for about 10,000 deaths nationally every year. More than a quarter of all traffic deaths in Arizona last year were alcohol-related.

Other strictest-states for DUI enforcement are Alaska, Connecticut and West Virginia. 

Ryan Heinsius joined KNAU's newsroom as an executive producer in 2013 and became news director and managing editor in 2024. As a reporter, he has covered a broad range of stories from local, state and tribal politics to education, economy, energy and public lands issues, and frequently interviews internationally known and regional musicians. Ryan is an Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a Public Media Journalists Association Award winner, and a frequent contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and national newscast.
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