Beginning on Nov. 24 of last year, the Arizona Holiday DUI Task Force conducted more than 55,000 traffic stops in their search for drivers who had a few drinks before getting behind the wheel. As a result more than 3,200 drivers were found to be drunk behind the wheel and were arrested.

This is good news for Arizona defensive drivers who know better than to drink and drive, and bad news for the ones who don’t. In Arizona first time drunk drivers will pay hefty fines including the costs for installing and maintaining an interlock device on their automobile. The interlock device requires the driver to self-administer a breathalyzer test before the engine will start. The devices cost a couple hundred dollars and have a monthly maintenance fee of almost $100. First-time drunk drivers are required to use the devices for a minimum of six months.

On New Year’s Eve alone officers from 70 different departments around the state participated in a statewide crackdown on drunk drivers resulting in dozens of drunk driving arrests. The state also spent more than $1 million on six new DUI-processing vehicles for use out in the field. In the DUI-processing vehicles, drivers suspected of being under the influence can take a breathalyzer test, provide a blood sample or receive an examination from a DUI-expert. All of this extra effort is meant to show that Arizona definitely has a zero-tolerance plan for combating drunk driving.

In 2010 Arizona had 581 drunk-driving related accidents with 33 fatalities as a result. Their DUI enforcement procedures in that same year result in the arrest of more than 18,000 drivers who were under the influence of alcohol behind the wheel.

No doubt the officers who participated in the 2011 Arizona Holiday DUI Task Force were thinking about this number as they were on patrol, many hoping they could at least bring the number down by one for this year.

Results of the 2011 Arizona Holiday DUI Task Force will not be calculated for at least a few more weeks. No matter what they are defensive drivers can rest easy knowing every time they get behind they are fully in control of their faculties, as they should be.

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A new law in Arizona will lessen the penalty for those convicted the first time of a drunken driving offense. This news doesn’t mean a thing for anyone who has experience defensive driving. They know better.

Starting Sunday drivers who have been convicted of a first time drunken driving offense will have an interlock device added to their vehicle for just six months, instead of the 12-months they have been receiving.

An interlock device requires the driver to self-administer a breathalyzer test before the ignition will start. If the driver tests postives for alcohol, they aren’t going any where.

Even with this latest change Arizona is still one of the toughest states when it comes to drunk drivers. It is one of only 15 states that requires first time offenders to install any type of interlock device.

Arizona first passed a law requiring drunk drivers to install interlock devices in 2001 and in 2007 expanded the law to first-time offenders.

These devices are bought and paid for by the driver, who also pay the $80 monthly maintenance fee. Since the requirement was added to first time offenders the drunk driving rate has decreased significantly, from almost 400 in 2006 to half that number in 2010.

A Defensive driving course teaches the importance of being clean and sober any time you get behind the wheel, but that’s a lesson some people cannot understand.

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In keeping with its commitment of promoting driver safety and providing the state’s motorists with enhanced customer conveniences Arizona Supreme Court approved Improv Traffic School, an online humor-based defensive driving program, for Arizona drivers who are cited for moving violations.

Improv gained its fame in the driver training field in the early 80’s, when its founder Gary Alexander partnered with the famous Improv Comedy Club to create an interactive and fun traffic school and defensive driving program for Los Angeles motorists.

Based on a simple notion that when you enjoy the learning process you simply learn more, Alexander has grown Improv to one of the largest and most respected defensive driving schools in the country. Since then more than a million students have taken Improv’s classes in both classroom and online settings for ticket dismissal, insurance discounts and court ordered defensive driving. Improv’s teaching methodology has been backed by a number of studies showing that its edutainment curriculum is effective in reducing future crashes and moving violations.

I can’t guarantee none-stop laughs”, Gary Alexander admits, “I will shoot for less painful, simple and effective”.

Eligible Arizona Motorists who successfully complete Improv’s online defensive driving course are eligible to have their moving violations dismissed by issuing court.

The Improv’ s online traffic school course is available to Arizona motorists at www.myimprov.com

The online course consists of 10 simple modules featuring a combination of comedic, YouTube style video clips that are supported by easy to navigate text and graphics covering a variety of driving subjects ranging from basic traffic laws to more serious issues like DUI and seat belt use. The real beauty of this course is that it’s not only fun and effective; it can also be completed at your own pace in as little as 5-minute increments. Upon completion of all modules and passing of a simple quiz covering course material you get a certificate of completion that can be submitted to the court.