Crackdown on impaired drivers underway

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WALA) - Florida law enforcement agencies are joining agencies nationwide to crack down on drunk driving. The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" safety campaign kicks of Wednesday and runs through January 1, 2013. 

Officers will aggressively seek impaired drivers and arrest anyone caught driving under the influence.  Enforcement efforts will include sobriety checkpoints and increase patrols.

The National Highway Traffic Administration finds fatalities in crashes that involve one or more impaired drivers appear to increase significantly during the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday period.

“Last year more than 1,100 people lost their lives in crashes where alcohol or drugs were involved or suspected, and thousands more were injured,” said Julie L. Jones, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

It is illegal to drive in Florida with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Authorities suggest three steps people can take to stay safe and out of trouble: 

• Plan ahead. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Designate a sober driver.
• If you are impaired, find another way home. Use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation
• If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel. If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement.