PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A new report from Forward Pinellas shows that the number of deadly crashes in Pinellas County has gone down over the last year.
Despite that improvement, some areas need more focus when it comes to speeding.
"We do have more people moving to the area, but also, people are back in the workforce, going to the office each day, so there's generally more traffic on the road," said Chelsea Favor with Forward Pinellas.
According to the report, the number of fatal crashes involving pedestrians and motorcyclists has decreased by 50% over the last year.
"A lot of those crashes are fatal because of the speed that's involved, so with more traffic comes slower vehicles and fewer fatal crashes," said Favero.
It's a trend that Favero is glad to see.
"If you're going to be driving quickly, with that comes great responsibility to make sure you are aware of what is going on around you," said Favero.
But she says speeding is still a big problem.
Leaders with Forward Pinellas say while some areas are improving, they are focusing on speed-reducing projects along certain roads in the county.
"Just because a roadway is designed and looks like you should be driving fast, we have over a million people in Pinellas County and 15 million annual visitors, so there's a lot of people sharing the same space," said Favero.
"Super fast, super unsafe, it's not good," said Shyre Cole, who lives in Pinellas County.
Some of the areas with speeding issues include Gandy Boulevard, Ulmerton Road, and Roosevelt Boulevard. Shyre Cole lives near Gandy Boulevard.
"It's scary because sometimes they will come up from behind you and get really close to the back of your car and just go around you. It can be scary. It's definitely nerve-racking," said Cole.
She brings her dog to Gandy Beach once a week and constantly has to keep an eye on her 9-month-old puppy.
"Most of the time, she stays by us, but there's always a chance she could run over to the road, and that would be bad because we don't want her to get hit when people are speeding that fast and not paying attention," said Cole.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two people were arrested over the weekend for driving over 100 miles per hour on Gandy Boulevard—one of them being charged with street racing.
"I personally think it's really stupid that people do that. It's dangerous and puts everybody else in danger," said Cole.
