Eleven People Arrested in New Year's Eve DUI Patrol

The new year didn't start off so great for nearly a dozen people who were arrested as part of the sheriff's DUI saturation patrol that began on New Year's eve and ended early this morning.

The Manatee County Sheriff's office arrested a total of 11 people, including two felony arrests, four arrests for driving under the influence and five others for misdemeanor violations.

The sheriff's office also wrote 28 speeding citations, four seatbelt violations, two red light running tickets, 3 summons and 16 other traffic violations. They also issued eight written warnings and four correction cards.

More than 17,000 people are killed each year and another 305,000 people are injured as a result of impaired drivers.  Studies show that the average DUI driver commits this violation 80 times a year, about once every 4 to 5 nights. 

National averages show that an alcohol related fatality occurs every 30 minutes.  Data revealed that these incidents cost society over $54 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, damages, and other expenditures, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.