Law enforcement agencies announce campaign to reduce impaired driving

Press release from Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), our Division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), along with our public safety partners, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA), and the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA), announce our annual Impaired Driving Campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of the effects and consequences of driving while impaired.

The Gainesville Police Department also announced that it will be conducting a DUI Enforcement Detail on Saturday, March 1, 2025, targeting impaired drivers.

In 2024, over 10% of impaired driving crashes occurred in March, making it the month with the highest number of impaired driving crashes. While impaired driving is not the most significant contributing factor in the majority of traffic crashes, one in three FATAL traffic crashes is the result of an impaired driver. From 2013 to 2023, impaired driving fatalities represented 34.21% of total fatalities.

Impairment is preventable. Drivers, passengers, friends, and family members need to understand that impairment can be caused by various factors. It is not only synonymous with alcohol, illegal narcotics, or marijuana. However, they may be the most common examples of such. Other examples of impairment-causing substances include the following:

• Some prescription medications.
• Over-the-counter sleep medication or medication that lists drowsiness as a side effect.
• A mix of prescription medications and alcohol.

Marijuana is an impairment multiplier. This means that marijuana combined with any other substance that ALSO causes impairment (alcohol, prescription medications, other drugs) will result in INCREASED impairment. From 2016-2023, drug-impaired drivers caused 128,426 crashes, killing 8,900 people, including themselves, their passengers, and others on the road. Unlike alcohol, there is no specific impairment limit to marijuana. Marijuana affects everyone differently and can remain in a person’s system much longer than alcohol. 

Traffic crashes involving death and injury while under the influence of marijuana (THC) are underreported, and unless there is a fatality, THC testing normally does not occur, especially if the suspect has already tested positive for alcohol. The alcohol breathalyzer is the least intrusive method to check for impairment, and it is used first and most often. If an individual tests positive for a breathalyzer, the individual will be charged with DUI; however, marijuana may also be present (testing is either urine or blood). 

FHP and law enforcement officers statewide are trained to spot the signs of impaired driving and constantly monitor Florida’s roadways to keep everyone safe. Many law enforcement agencies have members trained specifically in drug recognition. They are called drug recognition experts (DRE), and the FHP has 55 of the 340 DREs in Florida, representing 16% of all DREs. Of these 55 FHP DREs, 11 are Instructors. While they must keep our roadways safe, it is also every driver’s responsibility to do their part.

Remember, if you feel different, you will drive differently. Whether you are the driver, passenger, friend, or family member, if you witness someone getting behind the wheel impaired, it is your responsibility to say something. There are many alternatives to driving while impaired, such as calling a ride-share, designating a driver, or even calling a sober loved one or friend to pick you up. When you drive impaired, you put yourself and everyone else on the road in unnecessary and preventable danger.

THE FIVE SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT:

Under the influence of alcohol and drugs, drivers can experience:

• A slow reaction time.
• Limited short-term memory functions.
• Decreased hand-eye coordination.
• Weakened concentration.
• Difficulty perceiving time and distance.

PENALTIES FOR DUI:

• For any DUI conviction, your driver’s license will be revoked for a minimum of 180 days.
• If you refuse to take a required roadside test at the time of arrest, your license will be automatically suspended for one year.
• Fines for DUI can range from $500 to $5,000 with mandatory DUI school education.
• Penalties can include an ignition interlock device, community service, probation or imprisonment.
• DUI convictions must remain on your record for 75 years.