PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Aug 14, 2014) - Arizona law provides stiff penalties for those who engage in drinking and driving. Even first-time offenders may find themselves paying thousands of dollars in fines and fees and losing their driving privileges for a significant amount of time. However, with summer parties and events, statistics predict that many people will be arrested for DUI before Labor Day. Oswalt Law Group in Phoenix, a criminal defense firm, is taking the opportunity to remind Arizona residents that drinking and driving can be a costly and dangerous mistake.

Oswalt Law Group, located on the web at http://www.oswaltlawyers.com/, has been providing Phoenix and Arizona residents with professional legal representation for all types of criminal charges for some time now. During this time, the attorneys at Oswalt Law Group have discovered that one of the most common reasons for people to seek criminal defense representation is due to charges related to driving under the influence. In fact, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, located on the web at http://www.azdps.gov/information/Impaired_Driving/Statistics/, nearly 21 percent of all people killed on Arizona highways in a given year are involved in a drunk driving crash. The fact that these figures exist in spite of Arizona's strict DUI laws is an indication of how big the drunk driving problem really is.

As part of its summer awareness campaign to bring attention to the problem of drunk driving, Oswalt Law Group points out that in Arizona, a first-time conviction for DUI with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent to .15 percent will still cost the driver thousands of dollars and can result in 10 days in jail. Drivers are required to spend at least 24 hours in jail and may be required to install an ignition interlock device as a condition of being allowed to drive in the future.

Unfortunately, summer is also a time when many people are out at parties or other events and may enjoy a drink or two. It is important to remember that alcohol does not metabolize at the same rate for everyone, so it is almost impossible to predict exactly how much alcohol will result in a DUI charge if the driver is stopped. The safest and simplest way to avoid a DUI is to use a designated driver who consumes no alcohol at all.

The attorneys at Oswalt Law Group are taking time to get the word out to the public: drinking and driving is not only dangerous but costly.

About Oswalt Law Group: For those who have been charged with DUI, Oswalt Law Group offers professional legal representation. The attorneys at Oswalt Law Group represent those who have been charged with all types of DUIs including extreme and super extreme DUI.