The Arizona Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday June 10, 2009 to make it easier to convict someone of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).

Up until last week, Arizona law stated that a DUI conviction requires “actual physical control” of a vehicle.  Now, someone can be convicted of DUI even if he or she is has their ignition keys in their car with them while the engine is off.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor to charge non-drivers and drivers in DUI car accidents.

“The total approach permits drunk drivers to be prosecuted under a much greater variety of situations — for example, even when the car is off the road with the engine not running,” the court ruled.  “The drunk who turns off the key but remains behind the wheel is just as able to take command of the car and drive away, if so inclined, as the one who leaves the engine on.”

Our firm’s car accident lawyers in San Diego believe that these types of accidents can be avoided and this new legislation will help the fight against drunk driving.  Drunk-driving is a major cause of car accidents, but with this new legislation, more intoxicated drivers will be taken off the roads and unable to injure a loved one or you — maybe even preventing a few wrongful deaths.

Drunk-driving causes more than 15,000 wrongful deaths yearly and 45% of all automobile accident deaths are attributed to alcohol.  In 2005 alone, 16,885 people in the United States died in drunk-driving automobile accidents, representing 39% of all fatal automobile accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents.  That number is too high for us here at Serious Accidents.

The San Diego car accident lawyers at our firm are glad that lawmakers are fighting against our country’s staggering drunk-driving statistics.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney and find out how we can help you.  We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case.  There is no fee if no recovery.