ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — You probably see it often when you’re heading to work or back home: people speeding or distracted behind the wheel. Local law enforcement agencies are working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in an effort to curb that problem and promote safer driving.
For many people, a simple drive can turn stressful.
“Honestly, crossing the bridge, sometimes I'm a little nervous because you see cars speeding, cutting you off, yelling at each other,” said Ana Gonzalez.
It’s something law enforcement deals with daily, including in St. Petersburg.
To help make roads safer, the St. Pete Police Department is partnering with FDOT through an Enhanced Law Enforcement Engagement program. From May through October, St. Pete Police plan to expand their presence on state roads with high crash rates.
"The state roads are generally the bigger roads in the city, the two and three lanes in each direction, and as a result of that, we see much faster driving and much more aggressive driving on those roads, which is causing crashes that involve serious bodily injury and fatalities,” said Sgt. Michael Schade with St. Pete Police’s Traffic Section.
St. Petersburg Police reported 38 fatal crashes in 2022. While they said the numbers have gone down to 11 deadly crashes compared to 20 by this time last year, law enforcement know that one is too many.
"Any time you're going over the speed limit, it's dangerous,” said Schade. “It takes you longer to react to something that comes up in front of you as a danger to prevent a crash. So if you’re doing the speed limit or lower, the chances are really good you’re going to avoid a crash if something happens right in front of you that you have to react to.”
Sgt. Schade said they were going after aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. FHP is also working with FDOT through this program.
Some drivers said they were behind it.
"I've seen a lot of presence even now starting to get out, the undercover police officer, the motorcycles, here in St. Pete, and it has caused more people to slow down,” said Eric Crews.
