Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over No Trick, Cops Say

Motorists who tip back a few too many before getting behind the wheel are in for more than a trick from law enforcement agencies throughout the Tampa Bay area.

The Florida Highway Patrol has announced it’s working with local agencies throughout the state as part of a national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort. That safety campaign runs through Nov. 2 and is highlighted by enhanced enforcement meant to stop impaired motorists in their tracks.

Col. David Brierton, director of the highway patrol, points out that Halloween falls on a Friday this year. “That means there are going to be even more parties where alcohol will be served.”

Brierton recommends that motorists designate a driver, call a taxi or come up with another plan to avoid impaired driving, or “the Florida Highway Patrol will gladly give you a ride … to jail.”

Troopers arrested a total of 653 impaired drivers during the 2013 Halloween weekend, according to a media release. A total of 181 impaired-driver-related crashes were logged statewide. Nine of those crashes involved fatalities.

To prevent crashes or the potential for arrest, the highway patrol urges motorists to think before they drink by setting a plan and sticking to it. For those who are impaired, it recommends calling a taxi or calling on a sober friend to lend a hand.

Motorists who spot impaired drivers on the roadways are asked to call *347 from their cellphones.