Law enforcement officials in Arizona are reporting an increase in the number of sober designated drivers in traffic stops this year. Citations for driving under the influence are also down.
In 2014 state law enforcement agencies performed an additional 200,000 traffic stops. But despite the increased contact with drivers, there were about 5,000 fewer DUI related arrests.
Alberto Gutier is the director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway safety. He says while the general trend is encouraging, the number of drivers cited for extreme DUI’s, or a blood alcohol level greater than .15, remains stagnant.
"That’s scary because that means that there are certain people that don’t get the message," Gutier said. "The message is if you’re going to drink, call a taxi or call a friend. Make sure that you don’t drive drunk. And some people are driving very very drunk."
Under 21 DUI arrest rates also remained steady compared with this time last year.
