Florida’s police take aggressive measures to search for and arrest anyone found driving while impaired.  In 2008, there were over 22,000 alcohol-related Florida car accidents resulting in over 1,100 traffic deaths, and over 15,700 injuries. Drunk driving continues to be one of the more common causes of accidents - it doesn’t help that binge drinking continues to be a habit on the rise.

Over the weekend, a driver was hospitalized after he crashed into three cars, a mailbox, a light pole, a palm tree, and barely missed the front porch of a home in the Quail Trail neighborhood off Goldenrod Road and Pershing Avenue.  The man is on life support at an area hospital, and will likely be charged with a DUI.  Nobody is immune to this type of lawsuit.  NFL Cleveland Browns Football wide receiver Donte Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian while intoxicated.  Even more recently, Florida’s Carlos Dunlap was arrested for passing out behind the wheel on a street near campus and was suspended from playing for UF in the SEC Championship game.

The consequences of drunk driving can be devastating both personally and financially.  Recently, a Central Florida man was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a drunk driver.  The impaired driver who lost control of his vehicle was convicted of DUI manslaughter, and is currently serving a 15 year sentence.  The widow of the motorcycle driver was awarded $3 million dollars.

According to NHTSA, there are approximately 3,000 drunken-driving deaths in the state of Florida each year.  Overall, there are approximately 40,000 people killed in crashes in which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08, the legal limit in the United States, or higher levels. 

Please drive responsibly.

If you plan to drink, ask a friend to drive you home, or call a cab before risking your life and the life of others. 

Don’t drive intoxicated or under the influence of any substance that impairs your ability to stay safe.