SCOTTSDALE – Arizona has some of the toughest drunk driving laws in the country, and many people who are arrested don’t even think they’re over the limit.
Police departments across the valley have launched their annual drunk driving task force to coincide with the holiday.
On the first offense, a convicted drunk driver has to serve a minimum of 10 days in Tent City jail, pay fines and fees in the thousands, and their license is suspended for 90 days.
That’s a big punishment for someone who decides to get behind the wheel after a couple of drinks at a holiday party or a few glasses of wine over dinner. The question is — are the DUI laws too strict?
One of the big problem police encounter with drunk drivers — people who just don’t realize they’ve had too many. Scottsdale Police show us how they are trying to change that.
It’s the epicenter of valley nightlife. On any given night, Scottsdale restaurants and bars are filled, and when the weekend hits, the clubs are jam packed and the drinks are always flowing.
The question at the end of night is the same for many. Have I had too much — can I drive home? That’s where these Scottsdale police officers come in, but this is not what you think.
The people blowing into the breathalyzer haven’t done anything wrong, and they weren’t behind the wheel.
“A lot of people aren’t really educated about alcohol, that’s one of our biggest goals, to get the word out to the public to let them know what they are drinking and what it does to the system,” says Officer Anthony Bellissimo.
The program “Know Your Limit” aims to keep any potential drunk drivers off the road proactively.
“At best we can deal with one DUI driver at a time on the roadway. Our goal is to get the people that potentially drive a vehicle, prior to getting them in the vehicle.”
Officers go out in the middle of the partiers, letting them see the reality of their drinking for themselves. They asked people on the sidewalk if they wanted a breathalyzer test — and many people were way off in their estimates.
“Between 50 to 60 percent of the people we contact think they were ok to drive and find out that they weren’t. So it’s a large concentration of people that we keep from driving when they shouldn’t.”
BIG INTERVIEW | Joining us are Officer Bellissimo and criminal defense attorney Scott Maasen. Maasen has a radical idea about drunk driving laws and their penalties — he thinks they are too harsh. Press play to watch the live debate.
