Pirates, princesses and patrol cars will set the scene in Gainesville tonight.
Police officers and towing companies will be on high alert for drunk drivers and unsafe activity today.
The UF Police Department plans to increase the number of patrol cars around campus to protect the roadways, said Maj. Brad Barber, UPD spokesman.
“A significant mistake people make is when they feel like they haven’t consumed enough alcohol to the level of impairment,” Barber said. “If you’re making those kinds of judgments under the influence of alcohol, you’ll rarely be correct.”
He said that officers will conduct the Halloween Impaired Driving Campaign, including saturation patrols through Sunday.
“Any fatality is one too many,” he said.
Police hope to reduce the alcohol-related crashes, fatalities and injuries that occur in and around the campus community.
“We don’t anticipate a huge uptick in activity,” he said. “Officers will still be conducting scopes on campus and in residence halls.”
Barber said students don’t realize the repercussions of their actions when they drive drunk.
Jeffrey Meldon, a local DUI attorney, said the costs and consequences of a DUI case are extensive, and the largest cost in the cases is the increase in an individual’s insurance.
He said a law in Florida requires an individual convicted of a DUI to carry at least $50,000 of property damage insurance and at least $100,000 of bodily injury liability insurance.
He said individuals can go from paying less than $1,000 for their insurance each year to about $3,000 to $4,000 a year. After three years, this could cost a person an extra $8,000 to $12,000.
Meldon said attorney fees range from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on if it’s an individual’s first or second offense and whether there is property damage or bodily injury. He said a DUI manslaughter charge could cost an individual more than $10,000 and with about 10 to 15 years in state prison.
If convicted with a DUI, extra consequences include court costs that range between $500 and $750, a minimum of 50 hours of community service and the cost of substance abuse counseling.
Barber said most of the time, drivers don’t recognize their level of intoxication.
He said the driver’s friends are usually also impaired, so judgment as a group can be off as well.
Barber said drivers should plan ahead and figure out how they are going to get home before they start to drink.
To avoid driving impaired, he suggests calling a taxi, riding the Later Gator or riding with a designated driver.
He also said it could be dangerous for individuals to walk intoxicated by themselves because they could get robbed, beaten or sexually battered. However, he said, they should choose this option instead of driving drunk.
Barber said if you try to drink and drive, then you should consider other alternatives before putting the key in the ignition.
“If an officer finds you slumped over your driving wheel in a parking lot or in a roadway, you are still eligible for DUI investigation,” he said.
Businesses are also preparing for the increase of customers.
J.D. Chester, owner of the local bar Fat Daddy’s, said his staff will take the usual measures to ensure the safety of their customers.
“We’re not going to do anything different than we would any other night, which is if someone is really, really drunk, we get them a cab,” Chester said.
