Florida is gearing up once more for one of the most heavily enforced DUI efforts of the year. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign returns with renewed vigor—and this time it’s backed by fresh national and state-level enforcement strategies. If you needed a reminder NOT TO DRINK AND DRIVE THIS WEEKEND, THIS IS IT!
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) kicked off the 2025 Drive Sober campaign on August 12, with paid-media advertisements running from August 13 to September 1, and heightened enforcement efforts—including saturation patrols and checkpoints—from August 15 to September 1, 2025.
Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement is fully on board, urging agencies to boost visibility, ramp up patrols, and amplify public messaging via press releases and social media—reporting their activity by the same late-September deadline.
Why is this such a priority for Florida Law Enforcement?
- 2022 Labor Day saw 490 traffic fatalities, with 39% tied to drunk drivers and 25% involving BAC levels at or above 0.15.
- In 2023, fatalities rose to 511, with 36% DUI-related and an alarming 62% of those involving BAC ⩾ 0.15.
Florida DUI Hotspots
Some counties stand out as particular trouble zones. In 2024, Hillsborough County logged 4,593 DUI arrests, the most in Florida, while Pinellas County followed with 3,326. However, when adjusted for population, Pinellas County tops the per‑capita list, followed by Duval, then Hillsborough, Brevard, and Lee counties. Click here for our full report on DUI hotspots.
High-traffic nightlife areas in Pinellas—like Downtown St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, and Dunedin—are often saturated with enforcement, especially after 9 p.m., peaking between midnight and 3 a.m.
Recent Holiday DUI Enforcement in Florida
Tampa doesn’t play around when it comes to DUI crackdowns during holidays. We’ve also seen a rare Miami DUI check as recently as July 3rd 2025.
- For Memorial Day 2025, “Remember the Fallen,” ran from May 23–26. The results? law enforcement conducted 355 traffic stops, issued 295 warnings, made 29 DUI arrests, and handed out 51 citations.
- Over the July 4th weekend, a fierce joint effort by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa PD, and Temple Terrace PD led to 45 DUI arrests, 303 traffic stops, 47 citations, and 246 warnings.
Tampa PD alone accounted for 29 DUI arrests in that timeframe. - During Cinco de Mayo 2025, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa PD, and Temple Terrace PD launched “Operation Salted Rim,” resulting in 41 DUI arrests, 349 total traffic stops, 23 citations, and 326 warnings.
- July 4th Weekend 2025, Miami Beach PD announced a DUI Checkpoint for extra holiday DUI enforcement
These operations are no casual affair—they’re robust, relentlessly publicized, and demonstrate Tampa’s “zero‑tolerance” stance on impaired driving.
Know your rights. Call The Ticket Clinic.
If you or someone you care about gets caught in this wave of Labor Day DUI enforcement, don’t wait. A DUI arrest doesn’t have to end in a conviction. The Ticket Clinic is the largest DUI Firm in Florida and has defended many thousands of similar cases.
We’ve fought and won cases involving faulty traffic stops, improper field sobriety tests, malfunctioning breathalyzers, and more. Every detail gets scrutinized. Every defense angle is explored.
📞 Call 1-800-CITATION (248-2846) to speak with an experienced DUI lawyer right away.
