Detecting Drunk Drivers
Drunk driving fatalities in Florida in 2017: 839 representing 27% of all traffic deaths that year.
Thousands of people are killed each year by drunk drivers. If you believe that someone driving near you is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, move away from that vehicle. If you have a cell phone, contact the nearest police agency in the area. To contact UWFPD, dial 850.474.2415. To contact Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, dial 850.436.9630. To contact Pensacola Police Department, dial 850.435.1900. Tell the dispatcher the location of the erratic driver, the vehicle description and license plate, and the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. Do not follow the vehicle, unless you can do so safely and from a distance.
To help keep you safe while you are driving on the road, learn to recognize the following possible indicators of drunken driving:
Erratic braking
Weaving within a lane
Inability to maintain proper speed
Following too closely
Crossing into opposing traffic
Drifting across lanes of traffic
Stopping in the roadway for no observable reason
Driving off of the roadway (on the shoulder, sidewalk, etc.)
2017 Florida Drunk Driving Statistics
Drunk driving fatalities (.08 BAC or higher): 839 representing 27% of all total traffic deaths, a 0.4% increase from last year.
Alcohol related crash injuries: 1,153
Alcohol related crashes: 5,125
Taxpayer subsidy of drunk driving fatalities: $5.2 million
REFERENCES:
- DUI fatalities: NHTSA
- In Florida, the comprehensive economic cost of a drunk driving death is $5.2 million.
- Data provided by Florida Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
- https://flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2017.pdf
