Florida Highway Patrol Warns Halloween Revelers of Drunk Driving Ticketing Campaign Oct. 31-Nov. 3

The scariest part of Halloween isn’t the costumes or pranks, Florida Highway Patrol officials say. It’s the drunk or drugged drivers who pose a deadly threat on Florida roads.

This week, the Florida Highway Patrol is again participating in the national campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. The campaign, from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, is designed to discourage drunk or drugged individuals from driving as police will conduct a combination of targeted enforcement and increase visibility on roadways.

Thousands of law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation are participating in the campaign. “There were over 17,000 DUI crashes in Florida last year that resulted in 877 deaths,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Each of these fatalities was 100 percent preventable. Impaired drivers need to look for alternate ways to get to their destination or the Florida Highway Patrol is prepared to take them to the alternate destination of a jail cell.”

If you’ve been caught driving under the influence even once, you face consequences that can affect you for years. The fees and fines alone associated with a drunk driving conviction can be enough to set you back financially for a long time, and make it difficult to move on.

According to DMVFlorida.org, anyone with a second offense, and in some cases the first offense, will be ordered to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle. Drivers with a first conviction face a fine of up to $500, 50 hours of community service, up to six months in jail, a driver’s license revocation of at least 180 days, DUI school, probation and more. The consequences become even more severe and costly for drivers with additional convictions.