Published on Friday, December 30, 2005
in the Tampa Tribune

Agencies Will Shine Lights To Foil Drunken Drivers

Several law enforcement organizations are joining forces today for an operation aimed at getting drunken drivers off the road.

Operation Lights for Life is a one-day, statewide initiative by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association. The effort will include extra patrols and checkpoints.

"It's a Florida-only initiative - one of the first times we've worked collectively to come together for this one problem," said Trooper Larry Coggins. "We're always working together here and there, but statewide - one day - we're all recognizing it.

"We want to place this in people's minds that we're out there, so they don't want to get caught."

Coggins said today's campaign also is intended "to remember those who lost their lives at the hands of a drunk driver."

According to the highway patrol, 1,093 people died and 17,580 were injured in more than 23,000 alcohol-related crashes across the state in 2004. Nationally, crashes involving impaired drivers killed almost 17,000 people and injured hundreds of thousands.

Last year, 33 of the 78 traffic fatalities recorded in Pasco County were alcohol-related; there were 581 alcohol-related crashes.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office also is participating in today's initiative. The sheriff's Selective Traffic Enforcement Patrol - known as the STEP Unit - will work with the New Port Richey Police Department to conduct a sobriety checkpoint near Massachusetts Avenue at the Congress Crossing Shopping Center from 10 p.m. today to 1 a.m. Saturday.

On Saturday, a countywide operation involving the sheriff's office and the Dade City, New Port Richey and Zephyrhills police departments will target impaired and aggressive drivers.

Results of the Lights for Life operation will be released Tuesday