Jeff Brandes says taking Uber & Lyft is the short-term solution for impaired driving problem

As most people are aware, motorists in Florida (and everywhere else in the country) can have alcohol in their system while driving, as long as it doesn’t exceed a blood-alcohol content of .08, which reflects the percentage of alcohol by volume in the blood.

Two years ago, the National Transportation Safety Board voted to recommend to the states that they lower the blood-alcohol content that constitutes drunken driving to .05, but Florida state Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jeff Brandes doesn’t see that happening in the Sunshine State anytime soon, citing a study by the state’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability on interlock devices ordered for those found guilty of a DUI.

“The research found that interlock devices were effective, but as soon as you take them off and people stop using them, the recidivism goes right back up,” he said, kicking off the AAA Drugged Driving Summit in Tampa on Monday. But Brandes cited two of his favorite companies — Uber and Lyft — as alternatives for impaired drivers, and urged the hundreds in attendance to demand such ride-sharing services in their cities and/or counties.

“Not one of you can remember your local cab company’s phone number,” he declared. “And if you were out at night, you wouldn’t know how to get in touch with them immediately. But I guarantee all of you probably have a smart phone and know how to use an app, even if you’re inebriated.”

Brandes has become those ride-sharing companies’ leading supporter in Tallahassee, and was unsuccessful in attempting to pass legislation that would have paved the way for them to operate legally in Florida in 2014. Though his proposal failed, it didn’t stop either company from going ahead and operating their services in various Florida jurisdictions in the past year, including in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

His other idea to contend with the issue of impaired drivers? Google’s driverless cars, which he predicted would reduce vehicular fatalities by as much as 90 percent, and he promised they will be operating “sooner than you think.” (Brandes sponsored a bill in the House allowing driver-less cars in 2012.)

But not everybody in the audience was buying what the senator was advocating for.

“Uber unfortunately encourages distracted driving, ” said Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the current president of We Save Lives, which campaigns against drunk, distracted and drugged driving. “And the Google car won’t be coming out anytime soon.”

Lightner then asked Brandes if there was any legislation pending in Florida that could possibly pass that increases the penalty for motorists arrested for driving while impaired.

“Once something’s illegal it’s illegal,” Brandes responded. “To take fines from $200 to $250, or $300? I’m not sure that incentivizes people to do something less.”

Lightner then asked if he supported roadside oral fluid legislation, which has not been approved anywhere in the U.S. (It has been used in Germany and Belgium,) Such a test uses a saliva sample to test immediately if the motorist is under the influence of a specific drug.

“I think you get into some very tricky issues there,” Brandes responded.

The St. Petersburg Republican also said that contrary to conventional wisdom about pot usage making the roads more dangerous (the focus of the AAA summit), he said that statistics show that highway fatalities in Colorado since they legalized weed for all in 2012 are at historic lows.

“It’s hard to paint with a broad brush and say that just because there are people using more marijuana that it’s going to automatically increase driving fatalities,” adding that the problem in getting accurate statistics is drug testing for marijuana can indicate that pot is still in somebody’s bloodstream, even if they haven’t smoked for days or even weeks.

Meanwhile, as Brandes was speaking in Tampa, his office was issuing information regarding his legislative proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Florida.