Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies will be on roads and waterways this Labor Day weekend, making sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
Cecilia Barreda with the sheriff’s public information office said deputies would be out in full force to help create extra awareness to be safe during the last summer holiday.
Safety on the county’s waterways will be one area of focus. Barreda also reminded residents to be careful around water of all kinds, including backyard pools. Drowning and near-drowning accidents are not uncommon. Most can be prevented, she said.
The Center for Disease Control recommends designating a responsible adult to watch young children who are swimming or playing around water. When young children are involved, an adult should be within arm’s reach at all times. Adults should take care not to become distracted by activities, such as reading, playing cards, talking on the phone or texting.
Boat injuries also increase during the summer months and holiday weekends. The sheriff’s marine unit takes advantage of the increase in boater traffic to conduct its boating safety awareness campaign and Operation Kid Float.
Deputies will be stopping vessels to conduct safety inspections, and kids “caught” wearing their life jackets will get an Operation Kid Float T-shirt. Deputies also will be looking for boat operators who are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
According to 2009 statistics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 18.5 percent of boating fatalities were caused by alcohol or drug use. In 2009, 65 people died in boating accidents in the state. Boaters falling overboard and drowning was the main cause of death.
Pinellas County is ranked No. 4 on the list of top 10 counties reporting boating accidents in 2009. Of the 41 accidents reported in the county, two were fatal, 21 were with injury and 18 without injury. The top two causes were operator inattention and no proper lookout. The primary type of accident was a collision with a vessel followed by a collision with a fixed object.
On the roadways
Pinellas County deputies also will be out in force looking for impaired drivers and drivers driving erratically, Barreda said.
“All our deputies will be paying extra special attention looking for unsafe drivers,” she said.
Pinellas County citizens and visitors are urged to drive safety and to not drink and drive.
Deputies also will be taking part in the Florida Highway Patrol’s DUI Wolf Pack on the evening of Friday, Sept. 3, through the early morning hours of Sept. 4, Barreda said.
FHP troopers are participating in the national Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest enforcement campaign. The campaign, which began Aug. 20, continues through Labor Day, Sept. 6.
The purpose of the campaign is to reduce the number of impaired drivers on Florida’s roadways in an effort to save lives, according to a press release. In 2008, 5,432 passenger vehicle drivers age 21 to 34 were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and 2,866 (53 percent) had illegal blood alcohol concentrations, according to statistics from the National Highway Administration, which sponsors the national campaign.
“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but also the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said FHP Director Col. John Czernis. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses. Do not take the chance. Remember if you are over the limit, you can expect to be under arrest.”
FHP also will participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) during the Labor Day weekend.
Throughout the holiday, all uniformed FHP personnel, including those normally assigned to administrative duties, will patrol interstates and other major state roadways. Motorist are asked to remember they can be pulled over and ticketed for not wearing a seat belt.
Tow to Go
AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser provide a free service to impaired drivers during holiday weekends called Tow to Go. Available Sept. 3-6, the free confidential program open to AAA members and nonmembers will provide a ride and a tow to impaired drivers who call 1-800-AAA-HELP.
The program is available throughout Florida, Georgia and parts of Tennessee. More than 1,900 called Tow to Go for help in 2009, and 5 percent of those calls came in during the Labor Day holiday.
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