Arizona authorities rolling out statewide DUI task forces for Christmas, New Year’s
Dec 23, 2016, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:01 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona drivers who have had too much to drink or are high on drugs should expect zero tolerance over the Christmas and New Year’s Eve weekends.
Law enforcement is planning DUI task forces over the next two weekends to get impaired drivers off the roads. A similar task force over Thanksgiving weekend yielded 333 DUI arrests.
More than 22,000 people have been arrested for DUI in Arizona this year alone.
Alberto Gutier, the director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said he takes impaired drivers personally.
“I’ve got my family, including grandchildren, driving around town and it’s important for them and others to be safe,” he said.
Gutier said there is a plethora of options available for those who may have celebrated a little too much.
“In today’s world, there’s no excuse for driving impaired,” he said. “You have cabs, Lyft, Uber. Ninety-nine percent of people know when they’re impaired. Sleep it off and don’t get behind the wheel.”
Triple-A of Arizona will again offer its Tipsy Tow service between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday to help people get home safe.
The service is open to members and nonmembers alike.
Triple-A will take a person and their car either home or to a hotel. The service is free if the address is within 10 miles, otherwise the person will be charged the standard tow rate.
The service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Moe said it should be used as a last resort.
To request a Tipsy Tow, call 800-AAA-HELP.
KTAR’s Jim Cross and Ashley Flood contributed to this report.
