According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of impaired driving fatalities has increased in Florida for the past three years. New measures aim to reduce the death rate in Florida and across the country.
In May 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a sobering report on the state of impaired driving in the United States. The agency notes approximately 100,000 people die in alcohol-associated accidents each year, with more than 170,000 people suffering often disabling injuries.
As part of that report, the NTSB made recommendations to reduce the number of people impacted by impaired drivers. One of their recommendations is to increase the use of high-visibility enforcement (HVE) by police departments in Florida and elsewhere. What is HVE?
When you see or pass through a sobriety checkpoint in Florida, you are experiencing HVE. The intent behind an HVE event is to visually drive home the message that law enforcement is present and working on the problem in your community. Elements of a HVE campaign include:
- Increased police presence
- Sobriety checkpoints
- Pop-up and electronic signs
- Vehicles marked with sobriety campaign slogans
- Multi-department enforcement efforts over holiday weekends
HVE campaigns get the word — and the police — out to make the point that drinking and driving is not legal and not smart.
Our firm works hard to help victims of drunk drivers recover financial compensation. We see first-hand the needless damage and destruction that occurs when a person takes a sip and slips behind a wheel. Preventing even one drunk driving accident can save a life.
When you are injured by the negligence of a drunk driver in Sarasota County, seek experienced legal advice.