The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is joining state and local law enforcement agencies, MADD Central Florida and the Orange County Community Traffic Safety Team in supporting an aggressive, national Buzzed Driving enforcement campaign from October 25, 2010 to October 31, 2010. Deputy Sheriffs will be targeting drunk and impaired drivers around the clock. Deputy Sheriffs will be out in force at night, as well as during the day, to make sure drivers take seriously
the consequences of drunk driving.
Lieutenant Jose Campina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Section advises that according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every 45 minutes or 32 times a day, someone in the United States dies in an alcohol impaired driving crash.
According to Campina 197,214 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes on Florida roadways in 2009. Out of that number 14,130 people were injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes that involved at least one impaired driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher with a total death rate recorded at 1,004 impaired driving fatalities.
Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the higher number of drunk drivers on the roads. In 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation occurring on Halloween night involved a drunk driver or a motorcycle rider impaired on alcohol, drugs or both.
Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are scary. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash and/or arrest for driving while impaired can be staggering.
Lt. Campina states, “…have a safe and fun Halloween, plan before you go out and remember if you drink that is your business, if you drink and drive that is our business and we will find you and arrest you no matter where you are”.
If you are interested in covering the Orange County Sheriff’s Office “BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING” detail please contact Lt. Jose Campina at 407-836-0800
