Michael Hope of Pasco County is advocating for stricter drunk driving penalties after his father Robert was killed by a drunk driver on Labor Day weekend four years ago. The crash report showed the other driver had a blood alcohol level of 0.116, well above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08. Hope has been working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to push for harsher penalties for holiday drunk driving, suggesting that fines should be doubled during holidays similar to how they are in school and construction zones. He believes that free ride services like AAA Tow to Go were available at the time of the crash but were not utilized by the driver. Hope’s mission is straightforward: if he can save just one person from experiencing the same loss, he has done his job. This Labor Day weekend, Hope wants drivers to remember they have a choice and that their choices affect everyone around them.
Key Points:
- Michael Hope’s father Robert was killed instantly by a drunk driver on Labor Day weekend four years ago
- The crash report shows the other driver had a blood alcohol level of 0.116, well above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08
- AAA Tow to Go program offers free rides through Tuesday September 8th
- Hope is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to push for harsher penalties for holiday drunk driving
