Officials at the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles says alcohol plays a role in nearly a third of all deadly car accidents in Florida. And on Monday some of the men and women who work to keep drunk drivers off the road were recognized.

Each of the nearly 150 officers that were recognized, helped to get at least 100 drunk drivers off the road last year.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored their achievements at the awards ceremony which was Emceed by our own Frank Ranicky.

Officers say drunk driving continues to be far too common. "It's unfortunately something that happens easily all over the U-S and by DUI enforcement officers like myself and the other people recognized today we're out here to reduce that number and to try to eliminate DUI driving in general," says Deputy Benjamin Benedict of the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

"I'm not really good at knocking on people's doors and telling them that some body's not coming home because of a traffic crash," says Tallahassee Police Officer Holly Lofland.

Seeing firsthand the devastation families face is a strong incentive for many officers to try and stop drivers before they kill themselves or somebody else.

Officer Lofland has worked in law enforcement for 18 years. And during her career she's arrested nearly 2,000 drunk drivers.

"I don't do it for the stats. Whether it's one DUI or it's a thousand, I've done my job," adds Officer Lofland.

"All the sober drivers on the road should expect to make it home safely every night. and the people who are out there and are impaired don't provide people that opportunity," adds Deputy Benedict.

Officials at MADD say it's important to recognize the officers who work every day to do their part to keep the roads safe. But they say the arrests are the just first step.

The organization wants to require all Florida drivers with alcohol levels nearly twice the legal limit to have devices on their ignition that monitor alcohol levels.

"It's technology that works. It's up to ninety percent effective. This is not old technology that you can evade or have someone else blow into. It's something that is required and really for the people who deserve it," says MADD National President Glynn Birch.

Birch says after a similar program was put in place in New Mexico, alcohol-related fatalities went down 20%. In 2006 there were than 22,858 alcohol related car accidents in Florida.