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Published on Sunday, May 23, 2004
in the Miami Herald
Re the May 17 editorial Road debris can be high risk to drivers: The recent deaths of Claudia Avila and Michael O'Brian on South Florida roadways are tragic reminders of how dangerous it can be when drivers don't secure a load on their vehicles.
In 2002, I amended state law to increase penalties on drivers whose failure to properly secure a load leads to serious injury. Instead of being a civil infraction with no points on the driver's license, the offense now is a criminal violation punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
But there must be adequate enforcement. Unfortunately, there aren't enough troopers on the roads. We don't pay experienced troopers enough to keep them with Florida Highway Patrol. They go to better-paying jobs with local police departments.
The starting salary for a trooper in Miami-Dade or Broward County, for example, is $37,277. A new deputy in the Broward Sheriff's Office earns about the same -- $37,472. But after 10 years, the deputy's salary will rise to $58,549, while the salaries of some troopers will remain about the same as the day that they were hired. During the last four years, 166 troopers have left FHP. Most cite the low salary as the main reason.
FHP funding has hardly kept pace with population growth. In 1990, Florida had 1,649 officers who served the state's 13 million residents. In 2004, with Florida's population at 17 million, FHP has only 1,819 troopers. That's only a 10-percent increase in troopers, while population increased by almost a third. This year's budget included an overdue 5-percent pay increase for troopers. I hope that salaries will continue to increase.
Still, we simply have too few troopers patrolling highways. They often are too busy slowing down speeders, helping stranded motorists and clearing accidents to catch every motorist with an improperly secured, and potentially deadly, load. Unless we dedicate enough resources to pay experienced troopers enough to stay on the job, it will only be a matter of time before we see another fatal accident as a result.
Tim Ryan, state representative, District 100, Cooper City