Glendale is getting a lot of media attention surrounding DUIs lately, but not for reasons that seem so obvious.
We blogged Monday about how over 100 volunteers in the Glendale DUI task force save the city police department nearly a half million dollars annually.
And now, we’re reporting that Glendale motor officer David Vidaure has recently been honored for his dedication to removing tipsy drivers from the streets of Arizona.
The Arizona chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving presented Officer Vidaure, age 31, with one of its 2010 DUI Enforcement Awards for his “outstanding commitment” to reducing drunken driving.
Following in the footsteps of his father, a retired DPS motor officer, Vidaure said he was drawn to police work at a young age. Vidaure actively pursued a position with the DUI squad after starting with the Glendale department as a patrol and neighborhood traffic officer in 2003.
Vidaure was nominated for the award by his supervisor, Sgt. Mark Malinski, who wrote a glowing four-page letter to MADD explaining why Vidaure deserves recognition.
Apparently Sgt. Malinksi has a way with words.
Vidaure was selected for the “outstanding commitment” award not only because of the outstanding letter his Sgt. wrote, but also because of his high number of DUI arrests and professionalism on the job.
In recognition, he was given an honorary plaque and honored at MADD’s banquet in February along with about 20 other officers from throughout the state.
In 2009, Vidaure had a highly successful year. He arrested 128 suspected impaired drivers, the most of any Glendale officer. Aside from arrests, he volunteered his time speaking at local schools on the risks of impaired driving or driving while texting. Vidaure’s peers also selected him to receive the award for Glendale Motor Officer of the Year.

In late December, 2009, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced that he and U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) had proposed new legislation with the support of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). The new legislation would make ignition interlock devices (IIDs) mandatory for all individuals convicted of driving drunk in any state, even first-time offenders.

Senator Udall indicated that New Mexico aggressively applied the ignition interlock penalty to all offenders and that the measure has saved lives. He said he believes that “…enacting it nationwide would have the same positive and resounding effect.”

If the proposed legislation is approved and enacted, the federal government may take away part of a state’s transportation funding if they do not adopt and enforce the law’s strict requirements. This would essentially ensure that ignition interlock devices would become a mandatory consequence of DUIs throughout the U.S.

A MADD representative indicated that 50-75% of those with suspended licenses due to DUIs continue to drive anyway. The ignition interlock system, MADD said, allows a person to go to work, school or necessary destinations as long as they have not consumed alcohol.

More specifically, the proposed federal legislation would require any person convicted of DUI to use an IID for six months. Currently, only the following states require IIDs for all drunk driving offenders: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New York, Alaska and Hawaii.

Although some might say IIDs are an unnecessary inconvenience, their merits are quite considerable:

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found through studies that subsequent DUI arrests fell by 73% with the IID installed.
• Drivers using the device had fewer crashes than those driving on suspended licenses.
• A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that convicted drunk drivers who used the ignition interlock device caused 30% fewer fatalities.

If you are seeking legal advice for a DUI in Arizona, you may already be aware of how stringent the laws are in this state. If the Beauchamp Law Office can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to utilize our services by calling us today.