This is one of the biggest DUI arrest weekends of the year, and you don't need to become one of the statistics. It is so senseless in this day and age with taxi service being provided by many bars, public transportation and "friends" that should never allow their friends to drive under the influence for you to become an offender.
"The Transportation Department kicked off a $14 million advertising campaign to convince Americans not to drink and drive as talks continue on funding a second round of research to make it impossible for intoxicated people to drive future-generation vehicles."
"From Aug. 16 to Sept. 2, more than 10,000 police departments and law enforcement agencies will be out in force to crack down on impaired drivers for the "Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. The TV ads are targeted especially at young men ages 18-34 who account for a large share of deaths. The nearly 10,000 annual alcohol-related deaths account for 31 percent of road deaths. The campaign will also advertise on 1,500 websites."
The real sad issue is that over the labor Day weekend the rate of alcohol related fatal crashes climbs dramatically. During the entire year of 2010, there were 2,444 fatal crashes in the state of Florida, 32% of which were alcohol related, but in the same year over the Labor Day Weekend 43% were alcohol related according to The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles. This is a clear indication of how the trouble multiplies over the holiday.
The police will be having enough trouble keeping the highways safe over this coming weekend because of the increased traffic flow without us adding the alcohol factor to the problem. Please use your head if you are drinking. I like my rum as much as any one, but when it is time to say when, listen to that little voice and if you have had to many to be driving, get home by an alternate method. I really don't want to loose any of my readers or friends to a drunken crash or even a DUI, which can be catastrophic to your lifestyle if not some one elses.
