The holiday season is here, and for most of us, that means holiday parties. Even in the height of celebration season, law enforcement wants you to be safe during your holiday travels.
With revelry reaching its peak this month, Florida Highway Patrol is launching a safety campaign focused on making December National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month., also known as 3D month.
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FHP wants to bring attention to the many forms that "drunk," or impaired driving, can take.
"It doesn't have to be alcohol. I think a lot of people misunderstand, thinking that a DUI crash only involves alcohol. It can involve inhalants, it can involve illegal prescriptions, it can involve legal drugs,or valid prescriptions that someone has,” Sgt. Kim Montes, from Florida Highway Patrol, said.
The goal of Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention is to bring awareness to the broad spectrum of substances that can negatively impact people behind the wheel.
"Whether it's a prescription, whether its pot, whether it is cocaine,whether it is a legal drug, or an illegal drug, there is a problem with buzzed driving, and if you knowingly get behind the wheel after you have consumed either a legal prescription, or an illegal drug, then you can be charged with buzzed driving, and that is DUI,” Montes said.
Police especially shine a light during this campaign on the hazards of prescription drugs.
"Even if you have a legal prescription for a drug that affects your ability to drive, you can still be charged with buzzed driving,” Montes continued.
With holiday festivities in full swing, FHP reminds us before we leave the party and hit the roads,that the state of Florida has a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence.