Recent information from the largest police departments in the Miami-Dade area paint a picture of how far south Florida has come with curbing the rates of driving under the influence (DUI).
Over the last four years, DUI arrests made by the two largest police departments in the county have plummeted in total numbers, down a total of 65 percent in 2017 from 2013. Only 594 people were arrested for DUI in 2017, compared to more than 15,000 each year from 2013 through 2015.
What’s causing this drop?
A lot of the credit has been given to ridesharing companies like Lyft and Uber, which have given people easier access to affordable rides when they are out at the bars or at parties and consuming alcohol. With the availability of these apps, there are fewer excuses for people out drinking to get behind the wheel of a car. Use of these services has been correlated with drops in DUI arrests in numerous cities nationwide.
There are other factors at play, as well, including a much more educated general public. Millennials have been at the forefront of bringing down DUI numbers, largely because there are more young adults who do not drive than in previous generations. In fact, the distaste for driving has led Millennials to rely more on public transportation, bicycling and ridesharing apps.
Law enforcement officials are pleased with the rapid decrease in impaired driving and are closely studying the potential reasons behind it so that they can continue to encourage the downward trend in the coming years.
While these numbers are promising, the fact remains that impaired driving is still a big problem. If you’ve been injured in a drunk driving crash, work with a knowledgeable Bradenton personal injury attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh right away.