Arizona DUI arrests up over Labor Day weekend

PHOENIX - A national initiative aimed at impaired drivers during Labor Day meant heightened enforcement around Arizona, according to a news release from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

State officials say increased law enforcement presence and traffic stops in Arizona this weekend as part of the National Impaired Driving Crackdown has resulted in an increase in DUI arrests and driving-related citations, as well as a decrease in DUI drug arrests and under-21 violations.

Participating officers increased from 1303 in 2009 to 5423 in 2010, and the number of traffic stops rose from 13,697 to 30,068.

The number of total DUI arrests in the 17-day enforcement period increased by almost 100, from 1318 to 1407.

The Phoenix Police Department has had the highest numbers of DUI arrests in Arizona during this period so far, at 382 arrests. The Department of Public Safety has had 307, followed by Tucson's 196 arrests.

Seat belt citations jumped from 212 in 2009 to 843 in 2010; child restraint infractions also went up. Citations for other driving-related causes such as speeding increased from 5962 to 13,855.

However, the number of DUI Extreme (those with a BAC of .15+) has decreased so far, along with the number of under-21 DUI arrests, under-21 liquor law citations and DUI drug arrests.

The under-21 violations include a drop of almost 100 in liquor law citations but only 21 less under-21 DUI arrests to date.

Meanwhile, DUI drug arrests decreased from 130 to 89 in this period so far.

This enforcement period will end Monday, September 6.