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Three people suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized on Friday, August 4, 2023, in an accident on I-75 near mile marker 120. The crash happened around 1:20 a.m., according to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) incident report. A male driver changed lanes and rear-ended an SUV. After the SUV was hit, it traveled off the road, entered the grass shoulder, and overturned multiple times. FHP troopers arrested the driver who caused the accident, charging him with one count of DUI causing serious injuries and one count of DUI causing property damage.

In July 2023, a woman was arrested in Orange County for running a red light, and tragically killing two people in a DUI accident.

On July 2, 2023, a Lehigh Acres man crashed into a bicyclist, tragically killing him. The FHP incident report said that the driver partially entered the north grass shoulder where the front of his Jeep struck the bicyclist. The driver fled the scene, but a witness provided the responders with a partial tag description. The 33-year-old driver was later arrested and charged with DUI and leaving the scene of the accident.

These are just a few of the fatal DUI accidents that have happened in Florida this year.

Call for aggressive and urgent action

For the second consecutive year, accident-related deaths increased by 14 percent. In April, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) called for more aggressive and urgent action to address a worsening crisis on U.S. roads after an announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

MADD CEO Stacey D. Stewart said, “It’s shocking to learn that 37 people a day, or one person every 39 minutes, is killed in an alcohol-related crash and another 1,000 are injured. These are not just statistics. These are innocent people, broken families, and devastated communities impacted by a crime that’s 100 percent preventable.”

“We know there are proven solutions that will help lower the number of these tragedies now,” said MADD National President Tess Rowland. “Our nation’s leaders need to move this to the top of their priority list where it belongs.

What happens when someone drinks alcoholic beverages?

WebMD says when people drink alcohol, it first goes into the stomach and small intestine. It then gets absorbed into the blood, which carries it through the body and into the brain and lungs. When people drink, they then exhale it when they breathe. Blood alcohol levels can go up as soon as 15 minutes after drinking but are usually highest about an hour after drinking.

How does alcohol affect the body?

According to the NHTSA, alcohol and other drugs reduce the important skills needed to drive safely, such as judgment, vision, color distinction, and reaction time.

• Judgment – Alcohol and certain types of drugs impair the brain that controls judgment and knowledge that is used to quickly face new problems.
• Vision – Vision can be blurred, slow a person’s ability to focus, and cause double vision. Poor vision can affect a driver’s ability to determine how far away an object is in relation to his or her path of travel, causing drivers to possibly drift across centerlines, wander from lane to lane, or run off the road.
• Color Distinction – Alcohol and impairing drugs slow the ability to differentiate colors of traffic signs, signals, and road markings.
• Reaction Time – As drunk drivers become drowsy and less alert, the processing of information and responding to critical driving tasks are slowed.

How to prevent DUI accidents?

The University of Missouri Health Care Department recommends that when social plans involve alcohol, consider doing the following:

• Identify a designated driver for your group.
• Do not let friends drive after drinking. Take their keys.
• If you have been drinking, get a ride home from a friend who has not been drinking or call a taxi.
• If you host a party with alcohol, offer alcohol-free beverages and remind guests to designate a sober driver.
• As a parent or caregiver, talk to your teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. Ask them to sign a pledge promising not to drink and drive.
• If you suspect a drunk driver on the road, call the police and provide the location, direction the vehicle is headed, the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number.

Make your Labor Day weekend plans now.

"Labor Day weekend begins on Friday, September 1, and ends on Monday, September 4. We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. urge drivers to choose designated drivers before beginning their holiday festivities. Our legal team has seen the devastation caused by drunk drivers, and we encourage everyone to help in preventing drunk-driving accidents in Florida.

Should you or a loved one be injured in a drunk-driving accident, please contact Spivey Law at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or online at SpiveyLaw.com, after seeking medical attention. We are here to assist DUI accident victims 24/7, and there are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you,” said Fort Myers DUI Accident Lawyer Randall Spivey.