With reduced enforcement, Arizona Labor Day weekend DUI arrests decline

PHOENIX – Arizona Labor Day weekend DUI arrests were down 17% this year from last year, although far fewer officers and deputies were assigned to enforcement task forces.

According to Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) statistics, 1,030 officers and deputies participated in DUI enforcement from last Friday until Monday. That was 57% lower than the 2,412 officers and deputies who participated over the 2024 Labor Day holiday weekend.

Some agencies who have participated in DUI enforcement in the past, notably the Arizona Department of Public Safety, did not participate this Labor Day weekend, GOHS said.

How many 2025 Labor Day weekend DUI arrests were made in Arizona?

Almost every Labor Day weekend DUI statistic tracked by the state agency saw a year-over-year decline.

Notably, the number of traffic stops plummeted from 11,974 to 5,972, a 50% drop-off.

However, the falloff in DUI arrests wasn’t nearly as steep.

For example, GOHS reported 385 total DUI arrests (aggravated and misdemeanor) this year, a 17% decline from the 2024 total of 462.

Additionally, extreme DUIs (blood alcohol content of .15% or greater) were down about 25%, from 102 to 77.

However, speeding wasn’t policed over Labor Day weekend nearly as closely it was in the past. The number of civil speed violations fell from 3,569 to 1,232, a whopping 65% drop-off.

CORRECTION: An early version of this story incorrectly stated that Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety did not respond to a request for information about why enforcement participation was down this Labor Day weekend. We regret the error.

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