Crime & Safety
DUI Checkpoints Planned During the Holidays
Florida state troopers plan a special enforcement to crack down on impaired motorists who may be out celebrating the holidays and drive while intoxicated.
Think again before you celebrate the holidays with another glass of eggnog or other alcoholic drink.
Florida state troopers launch "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" from Dec. 12-Jan. 1, with the aim to stop impaired drivers who pose a risk on the road. DUI checkpoints and heaver enforcement are planned.
"Officers will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired," according to a press release.
"If you are caught drinking and driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses," said Lora Hollingsworth, FDOT Chief Safety Officer.
During 2011, there were 920 alcohol related/suspected fatalities in Florida resulting from motor vehicle traffic crashes.
The holiday season is a particularly dangerous time. Nationally, in December, approximately 30 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involve alcohol-impaired drivers.
It is illegal in Florida to drive with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 or
higher. Violators face jail time, loss of driver license, and steep financial
consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost
time at work, and the potential loss of job.
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