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Drunk driving remains a significant threat to Florida drivers. Drunk and drugged driving collisions claim hundreds of lives each year. While these figures are fortunately beginning to go down, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving caused 814 fatalities in 2018, compared to 841 deaths in 2017. The state is making significant efforts to get these numbers down even further. Each year, thousands of personal injury claims involving drunk driving are fought and won. If you’ve recently experienced a drunk driving accident, we urge you to contact our Fort Myers personal injury attorney.

Given that drunk driving is one of the biggest problems on American roads, both state and federal governments are creating new legislative measures that use technology to limit the incidence of impaired driving.  One such measure is Florida Governor Rick Scott’s legislation that is designed to implement advanced drunk driving technology as a standard requirement for all drivers throughout Florida and the United States. It's a bipartisan bill that Governor Scott is introducing with New Mexico Senator Tom Udall, and the new law would add this important safety addition to all vehicles.

Introducing the RIDE Act

The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone Act (RIDE Act) would require NHTSA to issue a requirement that all vehicles be equipped with advanced drunk driving detection technology. All vehicle owners and manufacturers would be required to implement this technology within four years from the date of the requirement’s issuance. The law is designed to take advantage of new technological developments that would keep drunk drivers off the road. The Act also carries a pretty big promise. According to Governor Scott and Senator Udall, as many as 7,000 lives across the United States could be saved with this legislation’s implementation.

So what exactly would this “‘technology” amount to in practice? Lawmakers say that several car manufacturers have already begun testing technology like cameras, alcohol odor detection sensors, and driver behavior monitoring to determine whether drivers should continue to be on the road. Similarly to the way autonomous vehicles are designed to detect obstacles in their path and drive themselves along the road, this technology would effectively halt a drunk driver from being able to use their vehicle.

Involved in a Drunk Driving Accident? Contact Our Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney

While we’re excited about the prospect of a law that would implement technological tools to curb drunk driving, this new law could still be some time away from ratification. If you’ve recently fallen victim to a drunk driver, you shouldn’t hesitate to speak with a Fort Myers personal injury attorney about your rights and ability to recover damages for your emotional and financial hardship. Attorney Randall L. Spivey at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. is available to help you get the compensation to which you’re entitled. Contact our office today.