DUI Checkpoints to Ramp up During the Holidays

Should you have too much spiked eggnog this holiday season, the Florida Department of Transportation wants to remind you to be safe and stay off Florida roads. 

Starting today and through Jan. 1, 2013, law enforcement agencies across the state are launching special “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdowns to stop impaired drivers and to save lives on Florida’s roadways.

According to FDOT, enforcement efforts will include sobriety checkpoints and heavy enforcement.  

“Lots of folks will be out during this busy holiday season, enjoying themselves and the holiday festivities, and we want everyone to be safe on our roadways” said Lora Hollingsworth, FDOT Chief Safety Officer in a news release.  “That’s why our law enforcement partners will be stepping up efforts to catch and arrest impaired drivers.  If you are caught drinking and driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.”

During 2011 there were 920 alcohol related/suspected fatalities in Florida resulting from motor vehicle traffic crashes, according to data from FDOT. 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.

“We want everyone to enjoy their holidays, but we also want our roadways to be safe,” said Colonel Brierton, Florida Highway Patrol in a news release. “We will be out in force to help save lives, and we are not going to tolerate impaired driving. So remember, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’ We will be watching.”

It is illegal in Florida to drive with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 or higher.