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If you drink and drive you increase the chance of being in a Florida automobile accident. Steven M. Dickson, 62, was charged with DUI manslaughter last Sunday for a Florida automobile accident that occurred off County Road 48 near Istachatta Road. Dickson was driving a Chevrolet SSR with a blood-alcohol level of 0.1555 according to news reports, which is nearly twice the legal limit. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that Dickson swerved to avoid an animal in the road but lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Both Steven and his passenger, Deborah A. Dickson, 62 were ejected from the vehicle. Deborah Dickson was transported to Tampa General Hospital where she sadly died.
Drinking and driving causes accidents and deaths every day and therefore the penalties in Jacksonville, as well as other Florida cities are very tough. According to Florida Department of Motor Vehicles records there were 34,638 DUI convictions in Florida in 2006. As expected larger, more populated counties account for the majority of the DUI Convictions. Following is a summary of DUI convictions in Florida’s largest cities.
– Hillsborough County (Tampa) – 4,107
– Pinellas County (St Petersburg) – 2,760
– Duval County – (Jacksonvile Area) – 2,170
– Miami-Dade – (Miami) – 1,824
– Brevard County (Melbourne) – 1,665
– Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) – 1,606
If you are caught drinking and driving, the result may be jail time / prison sentence, loss of your Florida driver’s license, heavy fines, and much higher auto insurance rates. Also, a possible conviction that would stay on your Florida driving record for 75 years. For more information on this topic, see Inverness man charged with DUI manslaughter after passenger dies from crash.