Yuma police urge Memorial Day drivers to plan ahead, avoid DUIs
Yuma police warned Memorial Day travelers to plan a sober ride before heading out, saying a $20 Uber was cheaper than a DUI and the damage it can bring.
Memorial Day weekend brought a blunt warning from Yuma police: make a sober plan before the first drink, because one impaired drive can lead to jail, fines, license loss and far worse. Officer Hayato Johnson said drivers who planned to drink should line up a designated driver or use a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft instead of gambling with a trip home.
Johnson framed impaired driving as both dangerous and preventable, and he tied the message to the real cost of a DUI in Arizona. A ride that might cost about $20, he said, is cheaper than court fees, let alone the long-term consequences of a criminal case or a crash that injures someone else on the road.
The warning landed as holiday travel built across Yuma County, where family gatherings, restaurant runs and late-night traffic can mix on the same roads. The Arizona Department of Transportation said no full construction or maintenance closures were scheduled on state highways over the weekend, but it still expected heavier traffic during peak travel times and urged drivers to plan ahead, buckle up, obey speed limits and never drive impaired.
Arizona crash data showed why the message stayed urgent. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the state recorded 1,228 traffic fatalities in 2024, a 6.1% drop from 2023, yet impairment and speeding remained the leading causes of tragedy on Arizona highways. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for about 28% of all fatal crashes in the state, and DPS said nights and weekends saw 2,407 alcohol-involved crashes in 2024.
The legal stakes are also steep. Arizona DPS said a DUI charge applies above a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% for drivers 21 and older, 0.04% for commercial drivers and 0.00% for drivers under 21. Refusing a chemical test can bring a one-year license suspension for a first offense and two years for a second or third offense, while penalties can include jail time, fines, license suspension and an ignition interlock device.
Nationally, the risk remained just as stark. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 11,904 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths in 2024, and about 32 people die in drunk-driving crashes each day in the United States. In Yuma, police cast the holiday message as a simple one: slow down, stay sober and get home without adding another name to the toll.
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