Arizona has found itself seventeenth on a list of the worst states for drunk driving, according to data analyzed by backgroundchecks.org and released in March 2017. Arizona is one of the top DUI States!
The Grand Canyon State had a DUI death rate (per 100,000) of 3.92 and 22,367 DUI arrests. First on the list was Wyoming, followed by:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Wisconsin
- North Carolina
- Alabama
“To create a ranking of states, we took a combination of deaths directly attributable to DUIs, DUI arrests per 100,000 people, and drinking too much before driving, as reported by drivers themselves,” backgroundchecks.org said in its release of the data. “We then created a weighted formula.”
The original data used to create the weighted formula came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. BackgroundChecks.org focuses on public safety, online privacy, home security and open government, and it regularly gathers new data and research on issues affecting public welfare.
Take Note: If you have lost your license and need to work on driver’s license restoration, browse through the attorney directories on www.Drunkdrivingattorneys.com or www.DriversLicenseRestorers.com. Pick an attorney experienced and knowledgeable in the driver’s license appeal (restoration) process in your state. If you need to get treatment to help make a case for restoring your license, there are treatment center directories on both sites. If you need information about points on your driving record, check your state department of motor vehicles. In Arizona, go here. Helping yourself is always the first step in having your DUI attorney help you.
A factor in Arizona making the backgroundchecks.org list very well could be the state’s lack of resources to monitor and enforce driving and DUI laws. Various locations in the state are reporting shortages on their police forces and the situation is reaching critical proportions.
“We are facing trying times, we are depleted of resources,” Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said at a recent press conference held at the Phoenix branch of Northern Arizona University and reported on by local news.
Also reported was the fact that Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said low staffing levels “meant they were not able to staff all parts of the state 24 hours a day,” and that many departments have had to cut back on visibility patrols and DUI enforcement.
“Departments are struggling to find not only interested, but interested and qualified, candidates to join the force,” Jim Burch, vice president of the Police Foundation, said in a recent NBC News report. “With everything happening around policing from salary to criticism, the question many people are asking is ‘is it worth it?’”
Information on Arizona’s DUI laws can be found here. And, even more information on DUI laws across the nation can be found here.
Flagstaff, located in northern Arizona, is reportedly the worst location in the state for drinking-related issues, according to an online article in 24/7 Wall St. The city is a sought-after tourist destination.
At the time of the report, 19.2 percent of adults in the Flagstaff metro area reported unhealthy drinking habits, the highest share of any metro area in Arizona.
“The fact that over 10,000 people a year die from DUI-related accidents is a travesty,” Trent Wilson, co-author of the backgroundchecks.org research, was quoted as saying. In addition to those killed, some 200,000 sustain injuries as a direct result of someone driving under the influence, the organization notes.
“We hope this research will open some eyes and make people think twice before drinking and driving,” Wilson said.
