Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
St. Patrick’s Day is Saturday and we know of a lot of locals who will be hitting the town in celebration of that wild Irish holiday. As most of you know, St. Patrick’s Day is known for its green beer, pots-o-gold and lucky little leprechauns. While the lucky leprechauns and the pots-o-gold may not be contributing to drunk-driving auto accidents in Palm City and elsewhere, the green beer surely is.
To help to fight the dangers associated with green beer and drunk drivers, the Florida Highway Patrol is out in full force since Saturday and will continue it’s campaign through St. Patty’s Day, combing our roadways for unsafe drivers. In addition to drunk drivers, FHP troopers are looking for drivers who aren’t buckled up, drivers who speed and drivers who engage in reckless driving. All of these efforts are a part of the state’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
Our Palm City injury attorneys understand that drunk drivers plague our roadways year round. Unfortunately, we see a lot more of them during holiday weekends and especially near St. Patrick’s Day. We’re asking all drivers not to rely on the luck of the Irish and rely on their own responsibility and preparations to keep them safe and out of drunk-driving accidents during this year’s Irish festivities.
“Having a designated driver and planning ahead will make your trip safer,” said FHP Director Col. David Brierton.
Brierton adds that he and the rest of his troopers are exercising a zero-tolerance policy over this holiday campaign and for the rest of the year as well. Residents are warned — do not drink and drive!
Florida’s roadways witnessed close to 18,000 alcohol-related accidents in 2010. These accidents produced about 800 fatalities and another 12,000 injuries. These are all injuries and deaths that could have been avoided, considering alcohol-related accidents are 100 percent preventable.
For this year’s St. Patrick’s Day, the FHP is asking everyone to refrain from drinking and driving — no matter what! If you’re planning on drinking, make sure you’ve designated a sober driver before you even leave the house. Keep an eye on friends and family members, too. Make sure that no one close to you is going to endanger their own life by getting behind the wheel after drinking. Remember, intoxicated drivers should call a taxi, ride a bus, call a loved one for a ride or stay where they are. Whatever you do, make sure that neither you nor your friends or family members drive after drinking, regardless of how little that has been consumed. Every ounce of alcohol affects the brain’s ability to function.
If you or someone who is close to you has been involved in a car accident with a drunk driver in Palm City, Hallandale, Sunrise, Pompano Beach or in any of the surrounding areas, contact our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-529-2368.
More Blog Entries:
Intoxicated Driver Kills 1, Injures 2 in Pompano Beach Car Accident near I-95 Off Ramp, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 21, 2012
Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Hallandale More Likely through Spring Break, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 9, 2012