DUI Sustained Enforcement Program

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked Florida and 12 other states to participate in a sustained enforcement effort during 2003. The Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) Safety Office is responsible for implementing this You Drink and Drive. You Lose. Sustained DUI Enforcement Program in Florida. Administrative duties for the effort will be handled through a grant with the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM).

NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. recently stated, "Impaired drivers represent one of our nation's greatest threats. There are nearly one billion drinking and driving trips annually, which kill more than 45 people every day. This crime will not be tolerated. Today marks the beginning of a yearlong effort focused on what we know prevents impaired driving - highly visible detection, arrest and prosecution."

The You Drink and Drive. You Lose. Sustained DUI Enforcement Program targets those counties that report 60% of the state's alcohol-related crashes. Ten Florida counties - Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Lee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Volusia - accounted for 60.3% of the state's alcohol-related crashes in 2001. These 10 counties are the focus of the sustained effort.

In addition to the year-long sustained enforcement in those targeted counties, there will be 2 state-wide enforcement waves. These will take place in the months of January and July. All agencies throughout the state are strongly encouraged to implement a high profile enforcement strategy during these waves in the hopes of keeping Florida's roadways safe.