The Florida DHSMV’s annual Uniform Traffic Citation Report reveals good news and bad news for Florida drivers. Last year, the number of motorists cited for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the Sunshine State dropped a significant 5.72 percent from 2005 levels. Meanwhile, convictions for unbelted passengers over the age of 18 decreased 4.38 percent.
While this is great news, there’s still much work to be done to educate Florida’s drivers about safety on the roadway. Total citations written increased nearly 7 percent to almost 5.1 million. More disturbingly, convictions for failure to use a child safety restraint skyrocketed more than 17 percent! This could be due to a number of factors, including increased vigilance by law enforcement. But, the fact remains that Floridians are not properly restraining young children in their vehicles.
Please stress to your students the extreme danger posed by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as the importance of reporting to law enforcement other drivers whom they suspect of driving under the influence. And, do everything you can to encourage your students to drive with children safely secured. If they do not know how to properly install a child safety system into their vehicle, help is available. Most law enforcement agencies are happy to assist with installation. Alternatively, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website provides a fitting station locator.
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