Arizona holiday DUI arrests drop as police push for even safer roads this season

ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — As holiday celebrations ramp up across Arizona, new data shows DUI arrests are continuing to decline — but law enforcement agencies say they still want to see those numbers fall even further.

According to the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, holiday DUI arrests have dropped three years in a row. The state recorded 1,666 arrests during the December enforcement period in 2022, compared to 1,359 last December — a decrease of more than 18 percent. Arrests during Thanksgiving weekend have also fallen, dropping from 323 in 2022 to 263 in 2024.

“It is the most preventable crime that we are faced with daily and tragedies occur if people drive drunk,” said Oro Valley Police Chief Kara Riley.

This month, agencies across Southern Arizona launched their annual holiday DUI initiative. The coordinated effort brings together local police departments, sheriff’s offices and state agencies to increase patrols from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, targeting impaired driving during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Officers say the goal is prevention, not arrests, and encourage drivers to plan ahead by choosing a designated driver or using a rideshare service.

For Monique Vallery, the push for safety is deeply personal. She lost her sister-in-law, two friends and an unborn child in a drunk driving crash ten years ago.

“Every holiday is different… every birthday is different… because your loved one’s not here anymore due to someone’s choice. And that choice should’ve never happened,” she said.

Law enforcement agencies say that despite the progress, even a single impaired driver can lead to a lifetime of consequences, and they hope increased education and enforcement will help keep more families safe throughout the holidays.