Drunk driving arrests in Florida Keys dropped again in 2014

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say the number of arrests for drunk driving in the Florida Keys has dropped significantly.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 345 DUI arrests in Monroe County in 2014. That’s down from 362 in 2013 and 398 in 2012.

Sheriff Rick Ramsay tells The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/1DRDzCg ) that DUI checkpoints and the stigma associated with driving under the influence may be contributing to the decline.

In Florida, someone with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent is considered legally drunk.

In June, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that allows judges to mandate auto ignition locks for first-time convicted DUI offenders. The locking device is a tube that measures blood alcohol content. If the reading is more than 0.025, the vehicle won’t start.