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Highlands Today

FHP continues holiday enforcement

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: December 29, 2009

SEBRING - The commercials showing drunk drivers seated in their cars bathed in massive amounts of martinis, olives and all, wine or beer until it comes pouring from their car doors and windows at drunk driving check points, at first seem ridiculous or even funny.

But driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) is no joke and it's no longer socially tolerable. Plus, it could be harmful or even fatal for the drunk drivers or for their victims.

Not to mention it gets expensive once the lawyers, court costs and fines are paid, the tow truck company is paid and storage fees are added up.

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office will have, in addition to its regular patrols, three extra deputies and one supervisor, whose primary function will be to focus on the DUI and aggressive drivers, said Capt. Paul Blackman.

"We're really kind of beefing it up for Thursday night," he said.

Sebring Police Lt. Russell Morris said Monday that along with its regular patrols, the Sebring police will have two extra officers on the road for New Year's Eve as well as its traffic officer who will be on the lookout specifically for drunk and aggressive drivers.

Morris agreed that combined with enforcement the light the drunk-driving ad campaigns have shed on the subject have helped bring the statistics down.

From 2007 to 2008 alcohol-related deaths dropped from 1,244 to 1,169, a 6.03 percent decrease, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' Web site.

Alcohol-related fatal crashes also dropped 4.11 percent for the same period, from 1,119 to 1,073.

Morris said he was glad to see the alcohol distilling companies' ads have encouraged people to drink responsibly.
Avon Park Police Chief Matthew Doughney said Monday he won't have any extra patrols on, but his officers will be on the look out for impaired drivers.

"Over the Limit, Under Arrest," is the motto used in the DUI deterrence program by the Florida Highway Patrol, who will be out en masse.

According to the FHP, drunk driving is one of the deadliest of crimes.

Every day, 32 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This amounts to one death every 45 minutes.

The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion.

In 2008, 1,169 people died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in Florida alone. That accounted for 39 percent of all the motor vehicle fatalities across the state.

It is statistics like these that prompted Gov. Charlie Crist to declare December as Drunk Driving Prevention Month.

Increased patrols by FHP will continue through Jan. 3.

"We will be out in full force conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to remove drunk drivers from the roads, ultimately saving lives that might otherwise be lost," said Col. John Czernis, FHP director. "If a trooper catches you drinking and driving, he or she will arrest you.

"Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses. So do not take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest."

Every sworn member of the Florida Highway Patrol will work a shift this month to target those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition, FHP Auxiliary and Reserve troopers will augment the patrol during the heightened travel period.

Motorists are urged to contact FHP or local law enforcement officials to report an impaired, aggressive or dangerous driver by dialing *FHP (*347) from a cell phone. Callers may remain anonymous.

The legal limit in the state of Florida at which a person is determined to be under the influence of alcohol is .080 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).

But the question comes up, what is a drink? A drink is the equivalent of .54 ounces of alcohol.

This is the amount of alcohol found in: 1 ounce liquor (100 proof); 12 ounces of beer; or 4 to 5 ounces of wine, according to a publication by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

It doesn't take many drinks for a normal size person to reach the legal .080 limit.

For a woman who weighs 120 pounds consuming three standard drinks in one hour, she would be somewhere in the area of .108 BAC, and over the limit.

For a man who weighs 180 pounds it takes about four normal drinks to reach .083. The numbers go up or down depending on weight and gender.

Other factors included when they ate last and how much they ate as well as the strength of the drinks, according to a study at Virginia Tech.

Other factors may include age of the driver, rate of consumption, percentage of body fat, tolerance, illness, mood, tiredness or fatigue and medications.

Remember when going out in groups pick a designated driver, someone who will not drink. A designated driver is not the one who appears to be the most sober.

The Tow-To-Go program, a partnership between the AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser, will continue through Jan. 2.

The program is free and open to both AAA members and non-members and is 100 percent confidential, according to the AAA South Web site and is available throughout Florida.

Simply call 1-800-AAA-HELP, and the call will be directed to a call center; and a AAA tow truck will be dispatched to take the vehicle and the driver home safely.

Since its inception in 1998, "Tow to Go" has safely removed more than 8,600 drunk drivers from the roads and is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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