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Published on Thursday, August 26, 2004
in the AM850/WRUF
The Florida Highway patrol says numbers released by the federal government show tough enforcement on infractions like DUI is working. The agency points to a new report from the national highway traffic safety administration that shows drunk driving related deaths dropped in Florida last year...albeit slightly. There were twelve hundred-74 deaths in 2003, five fewer than the previous year.
Meanwhile, Florida law enforcement agencies are gearing up for a statewide crackdown against drunk drivers during the upcoming Labor Day holiday travel period. Beginning tomorrow and running through September twelfth, Attorney General Charlie Crist (rhymes with wrist) says law enforcement agencies across the state will take part in a two-week campaign targeted at people who drink and drive. Crist says besides the deaths, Florida has numbers of DUI "incidents" that are astronomical, about 53-million. Florida office of motor carrier compliance lieutenant David Byner says in recent years the death toll from alcohol related crashes has been at record highs, and because of that, the focus is not just to get people from behind the wheel to behind bars--they want to try and make the problem go away.
The crackdown will also include a national media campaign being paid for by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.