201712.21

Drinking and Driving in Florida: How Tourism, Holiday Parties and Fun Affect the Roads

With the arrival of the holidays in December, holidays parties, family celebrations, and vacations to the sunny climes of Florida all become commonplace. Tourism statistics from the state of Florida reflect that December is one of the busiest months for tourism in the Sunshine State. Many of these visitors come from out of state and even from out of the country, where it may have been snowing and cold for months. They come seeking sun and and the sandy beaches of the Sunshine State, but they also bring with them an unfamiliarity with Florida law and driving more generally in Florida. This can lead to a higher than normal accident rate, as drivers unfamiliar with Florida motor vehicle laws, roads, or geography (and perhaps even driving in the United States in general) get behind the wheel of rental cars and attempt to navigate around an unfamiliar place. The 2016 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) statistics show that December was one of the months in which the most accidents occurred in Florida. The influx of tourists during this month, while providing a boon to Florida’s economy, can create danger on the roads for those Floridians who stay close to home for the holidays. Therefore, December is a month to be particularly careful while out on the roads in Florida.

Drinking and Driving in Florida During the Holidays

In addition to the large number of out of town tourists on the roads, holiday parties or family celebrations at which someone might have a little too much to drink can also make the holidays a dangerous time to be on the roads in Florida. Accidents in which alcohol may have played a factor around the holidays are particularly common. 8,476 people were killed in crashes in 2016 in Florida in which alcohol played a factor according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. Due to the particular prevalence of accidents involving drunk driving in December, the FDHSMV declared November to be Impaired Driving Prevention Month in 2016. A comparison of the 2015 and 2014 drunk driving statistics performed by the department actually showed a slight decrease of accidents in which drunk driving played a role. However, even with that reduction, there were still over 500 crashes during December in which drinking on the part of one or more driver played a part. Therefore, make sure to stay safe during the holiday by not getting behind the wheel if you go to a holiday party and have a drink (or two) too many. For the safety of yourself and the motorists around you, take Uber or a taxi home rather than operating your vehicle with alcohol in your system during the holidays.

Contact the Experienced Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys at Schwed Law if You or a Loved One Have Been Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident During the Holidays

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident caused by an out of state motorist or pedestrian or a drunk driver during the holidays, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Schwed, Adams, Sobel & McGinley, P.A. At Schwed, Adams, Sobel & McGinley, over 90 percent of the cases that our firm handles relate to motor vehicle accidents. Our skilled personal injury attorneys have over 150 years of legal experience and we have represented thousands of accident victims, including dozens injured in accidents during the holidays in the Sunshine State. Therefore if you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident during the holidays in Florida, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys today at contact@schwedlaw.com or (877) 694-6079 to discuss your legal options today.