DHSMV: Holiday Travel Campaign

Drive safe and pay more attention this holiday season

This month, The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) launched the Holiday Travel Campaign which will educate the Florida travelers to drive safe and take care on Florida’s roadways this holiday season. For this project, DHSMV collaborated with the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association and the American Automobile Association (AAA) to ensure all travelers Arrive Alive.

For the next two months, DHSMV will teach Florida drivers and visitors on safe driving behaviors, such as buckling up, slowing down, driving sober and eliminating distractions.

There will undoubtedly be increased traffic on Florida’s roads this Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays and it is important for motorists to be even more focused while behind the wheel. Motorists should eliminate distractions and always keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and mind on driving to help ensure they Arrive Alive, said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes.

Last year, 196 people died during the holiday season as a result of car crashes. Of those fatalities, 42% were drug and alcohol related and 20% of the crashes involved people not using their seat belts. It is known that alcohol reduces your judgment, reaction time, vision and concentration. If you are going to drink, designate a sober driver or call a ride service. Don’t forget to always use your seatbelt and follow all of the traffic rules.

As the holidays approach, we all have to keep safety top of mind. Safety in your vehicle starts with your seat belt. It’s critical to buckle up on every ride and ask passengers to do the same, said Amy Stracke, Managing Director, Traffic Safety Advocacy, AAA – The Auto Club Group.

You are encouraged to report aggressive or impaired drivers by dialing *FHP (*347) and check traffic conditions before leaving for your trip. For more information and additional travel information, please visit https://www.flhsmv.gov/