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Published on Sunday, September 7, 2003
in the Daytona Beach News Journal
LAND O' LAKES - When 14 additional troopers were assigned to Pasco County, their arrival was heralded with promises of reduced traffic deaths and increased enforcement. The results are in for this Florida Highway Patrol pilot program, which some hoped would set the stage for increased staffing in other counties. A staffing formula used by the highway patrol shows 770 more troopers are needed statewide. It wasn't feasible to ask for that many new positions without some proof it would make a difference in highway safety, highway patrol officials have said.
The Pasco experiment began in March 2002, and the pressure was on. In the end, adding troopers didn't keep more people from dying on Pasco's roads, according to highway patrol statistics. However, highway patrol officials say there are reasons to consider the program successful.
``We do believe it did show some positive results. You can't expect to see an overnight change,'' said spokesman Chief Jim Howell. ``As a result, we'll ask to continue the project. We also will pick another county, perhaps this time one that has a larger population.''
Deciding where to add troopers next could hinge on which counties have an increase in traffic fatalities, Howell said. Among counties on the list are Hillsborough where deaths have increased by one, to 139, this year; Duval, with a jump from 73 to 82; and Marion where 67 people have died compared with 50 last year.
``We were sort of challenged in a way, and we were operating under the belief that if you increase enforcement, you decrease fatalities,'' Howell said. ``Why the raw numbers in Pasco were up again, I can't say.''
As his supervisors in Tallahassee work to choose the next location, Capt. Greg LaMont, who recently took the reins in Pasco, is determined to find ways to keep motorists and pedestrians from dying.
Finding the Cause
Ninety-six people were killed in Pasco in traffic-related accidents in 2002, according to the highway patrol. But the pilot program study was done from June 30, 2002, to July 1, 2003, when 81 people died compared with 72 during the same period a year earlier.
``Bringing down the fatality numbers was the one area where we didn't meet our goals,'' LaMont said. ``That's our focus now, but overall I am pleased with how things turned out.''
Pasco troopers exceeded expectations when it came to handing out traffic tickets, arresting drunken or drugged drivers and cracking down on seat belt usage, LaMont said. Arrests were up 82 percent, and felony arrests increased 136 percent.
Finding out why this increased enforcement didn't equal fewer deaths hasn't been easy, said LaMont, who has been Pasco's commander for less than a month. It's a puzzle that may take many months to solve.
``I have a suspicion that pedestrian deaths have played a large part in driving up our fatality numbers,'' he said. ``Aside from stationing troopers up and down U.S. 19 and ticketing pedestrians, I'm not sure how to stop it.''
Alcohol use by drivers and pedestrians, coupled with poor lighting and a lack of sidewalks or crosswalks along major Pasco roadways, could be contributing factors.
Thirteen of the 81 fatal accidents during the test period involved pedestrians. Seven pedestrians were killed while walking along or trying to cross U.S. 19, according to highway patrol reports. Of those, at least three people had been drinking and walked into the paths of oncoming vehicles.
The Toll Of Darkness
Poor lighting was cited in the death of pedestrian Debbie L. Mohler, 42, of Holiday, who was killed while walking on U.S. 19 in February, according to the highway patrol. Mohler was walking near Plaza Drive in New Port Richey about 2 a.m. when she was hit by a 1992 Dodge driven by Paul Guglietta, 19, of New Port Richey, the highway patrol said. A second driver, Shane Hambleton, 26, of Palm Harbor, who was unable to see what had happened, according to highway patrol reports, also ran over Mohler. Mohler then was hit by a third vehicle, and that driver fled the scene. No charges were filed.
Efforts to improve lighting and add crosswalks and sidewalks along the stretch of U.S. 19 that spans Pasco are ongoing. The Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization, the county's top transportation planning agency, opted to include sidewalks in planned improvements after U.S. 19 was named the nation's deadliest highway. Improvement costs could reach $60 million.
Florida Department of Transportation officials have estimated that adding sidewalks could cost as much as $9.3 million. DOT and Pasco officials would have to find at least $2.25 million more to fund the project.
The MPO will meet Thursday to discuss the final improvement plans, said Doug Uden, the county's transportation planning coordinator. Funding is in place for lighting and crosswalk upgrades but not for sidewalks.
On a recent Friday night in western Pasco County, LaMont and a team of troopers set up along U.S. 19 for a traffic enforcement operation. Dozens of motorists, with at least one clocked driving 84 mph in a posted 45 mph zone, were ticketed for speeding and other infractions.
But LaMont's eyes also were on the pedestrians and bicyclists who navigated the roadway despite the heavy traffic. A pair of 16-year-old girls walked on the shoulder, inches from speeding cars, while a man wearing dark clothing rode a bike and held a flashlight.
Pasco Sheriff Bob White, who helped champion the effort that brought more troopers, said there is little that can be done to persuade the public to stay off major roads.
``They have dodged cars most of their life, but they are willing to take the risk,'' he said. ``How do you save someone who wants to live so close to the edge?''
An Undeterred Public
Neither a drizzling rain nor passing traffic was enough to deter Manuel Nodorse, 21, of Spring Hill from walking north on U.S. 19. When asked if he knew the road's reputation for danger, Nodorse smiled.
``I love it. I always walk this road,'' he said. ``I'll walk it as long as I haven't been drinking. If people drink, walk and get hit, that's their own fault, because cars rule the roads here.''
Pedestrians may pose the biggest challenge for troopers, but highway patrol reports show that motorists still accounted for the highest numbers of fatalities in Pasco. Alcohol was a factor in 16 fatal crashes during the test period, reports state. The remaining crashes appeared to be mainly due to drivers who lost control of their vehicles, took curves at high speeds or failed to yield right of way.
Adding more troopers may not have had an immediate effect, Howell said. But the long- term effects are beginning to be felt.
``Year to date, we are down 20 fatalities in Pasco,'' Howell said. ``From Jan. 1 to Sept. 4, we've had 47, and that's compared to 67 last year during that time.''
The effects also can be felt by sheriff's deputies, White said. In Pasco, troopers are responsible for investigating the majority of crashes. The sheriff pushed for adding troopers to free up deputies who had to spend time at crash scenes while waiting for a trooper.
Highway Patrol statistics show that troopers were able to respond to all but one crash during the test period, compared with 73 crashes that weren't handled by troopers a year earlier. Troopers also reduced their response times by an average of six minutes.
``First of all, I don't believe you can ever make the roads completely safe,'' White said. ``But it's better than it was. I remember when it was open season out there.
``Of course, there's always going to be that one driver that catches your attention and makes you say, `Why isn't there a cop around when you need one?' ''