Driving under influence

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Introduction

Driving under influence (DUI) has been one of the most contentious issues in the current times. It is acknowledged that a large number of people have perished on the roads thanks to drunk driving. This unfortunate occurrence often has high costs to the economy, which include finances used in treating the individual, lost lives, and lost manpower among others. This has triggered many states and governments to amend or come up with harsh penalties and laws all in an effort to restore sanity in the road. These laws mainly target the aspect of drunk driving in an effort to lower the possibility that an individual will be in control of a vehicle while drunk. Of course, there are acceptable levels of drunkenness measured by the amount of alcohol in the blood. Arizona is one of the states that have made and implemented harsh laws against driving under the influence.

Arizona has imposed severe sentences for individuals caught and convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. These sentences range from one day for first time offenders to even more than 6 months for individuals who have been caught on several occasions with the offense. In addition, the individual may have to pay a certain amount of money as fines for the offense. The amount of fee or charges that the individual would have to pay to the state is underlined by the Blood Alcohol Concentration at the time when he was caught, as well as the frequency with which the individual has been participating in the offense. This is the same case for jail sentences, whose severity increases with increase in the Blood Alcohol Concentration and the frequency with which an individual is caught. In instances where the frequency of the offense is too much, the offense would be considered a felony, the conviction of which would mean a higher jail sentence and fine.

Nevertheless, there exist other penalties for offenders of driving under influence. In some cases, they would be required to abstain from taking alcohol for a certain duration determined by the jury, and which the jury may increase. The individual would be required to wear a gadget that would register his alcohol consumption on the ankle. Alternatively, it may be placed on the steering wheel so that it can measure the level of intoxication of the individual. In some cases, an Ignition Interlock Device may be attached to the case, where the driver would have to blow into the tube before the car can start. The car may not start in cases where the device reads more than .000. It is worth noting that the reports pertaining to the alcohol blows would be uploaded and stored in a server. In some cases, the license of the individual may be revoked or suspended for a certain duration.

Nevertheless, there are various defenses that the accused may levy in a court of law so as to lower the possibility of conviction. These include taking an independent test, stating that he was not controlling the vehicle at the time, or in instances where there existed no reasonable grounds for suspicion. In addition, he may raise questions as to the appropriateness of the manner in which the tests were carried out. There are various standards laid out as to the manner in which the tests would be administered, the violation of which would render the tests inappropriate and, therefore, lead to the acquittal of the accused.