PHOENIX — Thousands of people will be out across Arizona to ring in 2025 on Tuesday night, but on New Year’s Eve one year ago, more than 170 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence. It’s a scary trend that state officials say we see year after year.
Restaurants, breweries, and bars across the state are ready to help customers bring in the new year with a bash.
“We’re super excited,” John Warren, Pedal Haus Brewery Marketing Manager, said. “We're going to have a live DJ. We're going to have disco tunes playing all night long!”
Before Pedal Haus’ rooftop party, the Phoenix brewery sent out an email to guests, encouraging everyone to come and go using a safe ride.
“If you have to get a rideshare, Uber, Lyft, Waymo, super fun way to travel these days, even an overnight lot in downtown Phoenix, there's plenty of those you can crash your car at for the night, getting home safe is first and foremost most important thing,” Warren said.
The brewery is just one of many pushing that message this New Year’s Eve.
Scottsdale police are joining other East Valley agencies to form a DUI task force geared at getting drunk drivers off the roadways.
“It's something that we face every year, despite really trying to get that message out that DUIs are preventable,” Officer Aaron Bolin, Scottsdale Police Department Public Information Officer, said. “People just need to have a better understanding of the dangers of DUI and what tragic consequences they can have.”
Last New Year’s Eve, Scottsdale police made 16 DUI arrests, just some of the 174 arrests made statewide.
Data from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety shows those drivers arrested for DUI had an average blood alcohol content of 0.14, nearly double the limit of 0.08 that determines drunk driving.
“We expect it to be similar, but really it’s contingent upon the number of officers that agencies can put out there,” Jesse Torrez, Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director, said.
More than 700 officers were out on patrol as part of DUI task forces in 2023.
One way for those going out to get around on New Year’s Eve: Valley Metro. Bus, light rail, and streetcar rides will be free from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Anyone can hop on board without showing a ticket.
“Just last year, we served at least 12,000 riders just on that night alone,” Juliana Vasquez-Keating, Valley Metro Public Information Officer, said. “So we know that the ridership is there and people are taking advantage of these free rides.”
Others are looking to rideshare.
“The Waymos! You know, they drive themselves, night rider!” Andrew Wallace, visiting from California, said.
Lyft is one company that is offering promotions to ensure riders have reliable transportation, offering discounts and priority pickup for riders with linked accounts to DoorDash.
“Even if you have just a little bit, it's best to be safe for yourself and for the people around you,” Jimmy Dettmer, visiting from South Carolina, said.
All methods empower those celebrating to put safety at the forefront of their new year.
