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Published on Tuesday, December 30, 2003
in the Melbourne Florida Today

Officers in Brevard on lookout for drivers who had too much holiday cheer

Police will be out in force this New Year's holiday watching for those who've had a little too much holiday cheer.

Starting at 7 p.m. New Year's Eve, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway patrol and several city police agencies will team up for a mobile DUI enforcement operation that will focus on Central Brevard including beachside, Merritt Island and the mainland.

The patrol ends at 5 a.m. Thursday, said Sheriff's spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez and is all part of the annual "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose" campaign which began shortly before Thanksgiving and continues through Jan. 4.

Deputies, troopers and police officers will be out in force looking for motorists who exhibit behaviors often displayed by impaired drivers. These include:

• weaving in and out of traffic
• starting and stopping erratically
• following the car in front of you too closely
• driving more slowly than normal
• exhibiting obvious tension or over-cautiousness

"The message is simple - You Drink & Drive. You Lose," Martinez said. "Violators will lose their licenses. They will lose time at work and with their families. They will lose money as a result of fines, court fees, attorney fees, increased insurance premiums, and other cost related to their DUI arrest."

Police should have their hands full on the roads this weekend as a lot of us will be out there driving, according to AAA South. The agency, based in Lake Mary, estimates that 2.9 million people in Florida will be traveling to their destination by car this New Year's weekend. Nationwide, nearly 60 million people are projected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the holidays.

Knowing that a lot of people will be on the roads, most police agencies are responding by adding extra officers to road patrols as well as using decoy cars. In Brevard County, the FHP office in Cocoa is virtually closed until the new year, with all available officers out on the roadways rather than at their desks.

If you are planning on imbibing your way into 2004, Budweiser has a deal for you. The beer company, local distributors and AAA are co-sponsoring the fifth annual "Tow-to-Go" program, which provides partygoers and their car a lift home.

Here's how the program works: anyone who is impaired by alcohol can call a toll-free number and a tow truck will come to the person's location, tow their car home, and provide the caller transportation home, all at no charge.

The number to call for a free ride is (800) AAA-HELP (222-4357)