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Published on Friday, May 23, 2003
in the Tallahassee Democrat
Patrols boosted for holiday weekend
Drivers beware: State and local police are going to be out in force this weekend cracking down on speeding and careless drivers in an attempt to reverse a deadly trend that occurs during the Memorial Day weekend.
Paul Burris, president of Partners for Highway Safety, said the Memorial Day weekend is usually the deadliest holiday weekend. According to the American Association of Safety Councils, 450 people are expected to die this weekend, with 44 of these deaths expected to occur in Florida.
Burris said that in 2000, there were 43 traffic fatalities in Florida during the Memorial Day weekend, with 15 of them alcohol-related. In comparison, there were 39 fatalities during the Thanksgiving weekend, 14 of which were alcohol-related, followed by Christmas, which had 38 fatalities with 11 alcohol-related deaths.
There has been a general decline in traffic fatalities in Leon County with 25 reported in 2001, compared with 45 fatalities in 2000, according to the North Florida Safety Council.
Burris said that, nationally, traffic fatalities continue to rise despite better designed and better built roads and cars. He said Florida ranks second in the nation in traffic fatalities.
The Florida Highway Patrol will pull 150 members of its administrative staff and put them on the road to boost patrols, including an additional 16 in the Big Bend, Lt. John Bagnardi of the Tallahassee troop said.
"The FHP also has seven fixed-wing aircraft that can be used to detect speeding motorists," Bagnardi said.
The holiday weekend begins today and extends through Monday.
Because of the success of Operation Beltway a few years back, Bagnardi said, all 312 police departments in Florida now participate in a program designed to reduce the number of fatalities and DUIs called "Click it or Ticket."
Lt. Mitch Miller of the Tallahassee Police Department said since "Click it or Ticket" was initiated three years ago, the use of seat belts has gone up from 65 to 75 percent.
Miller also said it is a primary offense when children fail to wear seat belts, meaning officers do not need an additional infraction to stop motorists; for adults it is a secondary offense.
Sgt. Tony Drzewiecki of the Leon County Sheriff's Office said traffic deputies will focus on cracking down on drunken drivers and motorists not wearing seat belts.
"Our goal is to increase the number of traffic stops to make sure motorists are buckled," Drzewiecki said.