Florida legislators are advocating for stricter DUI penalties, including steeper fines and longer jail sentences, to combat the alarming number of fatalities caused by impaired driving. Each year, over 1,000 lives are lost in the state due to DUI-related crashes.
Senate Bill 138 introduces significant reforms. If passed, refusing a breathalyzer test would automatically result in a misdemeanor charge. The bill applies to operators of both vehicles and boats under the influence of any intoxicating substance.
“Here in Florida, about 3,030 people are killed each and every year in a vehicle crash,” said Larry Coggins, Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). “A third of those are impairment related.”
“If you make the decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when you have any impairing substance in your bloodstream, then you need to follow through with the privilege that’s been given to you,” Coggins stated.
Previously, drivers had the option to refuse a breathalyzer test. Under this legislation, refusal could lead to a misdemeanor charge.
“I spent 25 years in law enforcement, and we had people that would refuse,” Coggins added. “Everybody hangs on the number—‘Well, I’m under .08’ or ‘I’ve only had two drinks’—but that kind of thinking is dangerous.”
Mothers Against Drunk Driving continues to push for stricter DUI laws. If approved, the bill will go into effect on October 10.
