FHP's Holiday Crackdown Total: 548 DUI Arrests

More than 500 Florida residents will be heading to court this year to face charges of Driving Under the Influence following a holiday crackdown by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol, announced the preliminary enforcement results from the patrol’s involvement in the nationwide Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign Dec. 12 to Jan. 2. 

To take part in the campaign, the highway patrol beefed up its force by having troopers postpone administrative duties in favor of road patrols and adding reservists and auxiliary troopers to patrol duty.

During that three-week period, troopers issued 39,202 traffic citations on Florida highways and made 548 arrests for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs.

Troopers cited 13,660 drivers for speeding and 2,570 for failure to buckle up during the campaign.

They also investigated 10,876 crashes in which 58 people died.

“Our troopers were out on the roadways to help Florida residents and visitors have a safe and enjoyable holiday period,” said Brierton in a Jan. 10 press release.  “Every year the members of the patrol do their part to identify unsafe drivers and remove them from the roadways, as well as take the appropriate steps to deter unsafe driving behaviors.”

The members of the Florida Highway Patrol remind everyone that it is the law to move over when approaching any authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker displaying rotating or flashing lights stopped on the side of a roadway.

Also, remember that *FHP (*347) dialed from your cell phone contacts FHP should you need to report an aggressive driver or require roadside assistance.