State law aimed at 'extremely' drunken drivers

Under the new legislation, people with blood alcohol levels higher than 0.18 can land themselves in jail for up to a month.

But instances of UA students caught behind the wheel with such high alcohol levels are few, said Cmdr. Brian Seastone of the University of Arizona Police Department.

"Most of our DUIs are 0.16 or 0.17 at the highest," Seastone said.

UA police statistics show 36 DUI arrests on campus since August.

University police DUI officer Luis Olivarria said binge drinking happens, "but not on a regular basis." Attaining a blood-alcohol content of 0.18 or higher requires heavy drinking, he said.

For a 160-pound person, it takes seven to eight drinks to reach a 0.18 blood alcohol level, he said. An average drink con-sists of one 12-ounce beer, glass of wine or shot of hard alcohol.

One additional drink would push such a person over the edge to an extreme DUI - a 0.19 alcohol level.

Before the law was passed, first-time offenders' driving privileges were suspended for 30 days, and they were allowed to drive only to and from work for another 60 days. The penalty remained the same regardless of the driver's blood alcohol level.

But under the new law, people caught driving with a blood alcohol level over 0.18 can spend 10 to 30 days in jail, and repeat offenders could be locked up for 60-120 days, Tucson police Sgt. Brett Klein said.

The extreme DUI law also increases fines by $250, Klein said. For first-time offenders, the maximum fine was $400, and it jumped up to an $800 maximum for the second offense.

In lieu of stiffer fines and extended jail time, DUI offenders can choose to keep their driver licenses if they agree to install an "ignition interlock" device that measures blood-alcohol levels.

The driver blows into the device, which measures blood-alcohol content. If it exceeds 0.10 - the legal limit - the device will not allow the car to start.

The ignition lock must be in the car for at least one year. The system costs $165 to install and requires a $50-per-month lease, Klein said.

Angie Isaac, a psychology graduate student, said she thought the device will reduce the number of drunk drivers.

"It's better and safer to have a car not start than to go and drive and regret it the rest of your life," Isaac said.

The new law will help crack down on people who drive while extremely intoxicated, Klein said.

"People are outraged with DUIs," he said. "This is productive, and extreme penalties do the trick."

Liz Dailey can be reached via e-mail at Liz.Dailey@wildcat.arizona.edu.