Come on, Arizona. Don’t start retreating in our successful campaign against drunk drivers.
The state, though notorious for questionable legislative publicity of late, is right on the mark with regard to its drunk driving laws, and has one of the nation’s toughest reputations on the books. A first offense costs an offender $1,500 in fines and surcharges right off the bat. Jail time is a must, as is a 90-day-minimum suspension of driving privileges. Also, the court may order the installation of an ignition interlock device – at, of course, the offender’s expense.
The punishments severely increase with each subsequent offense. However, the first-offense punishments are up for debate.
State Sen. Linda Gray (R-Glendale) proposed SB1200, which would reduce the penalties for first-time offenders by decreasing ignition interlock requirements from a year to six months. It passed the Senate and is now ready for consideration in the House where Rep. David Burnell Smith (R-Scottsdale) sponsored a companion bill, which entirely eliminates ignition interlock device requirements for first-time offenders. Smith, an attorney who specializes in DUI defenses, told The Arizona Republic that interlock devices are “financially unfair” to first-time offenders.
While we sincerely appreciate anyone in the Arizona Legislature concerning themselves with what is “financially unfair” to constituents (see: taxes, budget cuts, etc.), we cannot help but wonder what is fair to victims of DUI crashes, or the survivors of loved ones gone in the blink of an eye.
How can anyone possibly be worried about an unfair financial commitment for people who a) own a car, b) can afford some of the highest gas prices the state has ever seen, c) can afford car insurance, and d) can afford to buy enough booze to get themselves drunk. By the time interlock ignition devices come into play, our concern with the offender’s financial burden ends.
Instead of relaxing our punitive DUI laws to prevent burdensome financial responsibilities for those who drive drunk, we’ve got an even better idea for those who can’t afford the interlock ignition device: Don’t drink and drive.
Problem solved.
