Published on Saturday, December 31, 2005
in the Orlando Sentinel

Bloody year on Florida roadways

Another bloody year is ending on Florida's streets and highways with traffic-death totals again setting records statewide and in Orange County.

The year began with police, politicians and traffic-safety experts in Central Florida declaring highway safety a new top priority. That led to off-and-on police crackdowns, new safety equipment for intersections and the beginnings of broad public-awareness programs.

Yet the year also began with 11 traffic deaths statewide during the New Year's weekend alone, including two women on Colonial Drive in Orange County and one woman on State Road 46 in Seminole County -- two of Central Florida's most dangerous roads. More tragedies that gripped public attention soon followed, growing increasingly common.

Through Tuesday, 3,432 people died in traffic accidents in Florida this year -- a new record. The old record was set last year, with 3,257 highway deaths. And Central Florida -- with 741 fatalities through Tuesday -- was poised to break last year's record of 742.

Orange County's roads also claimed a record number of deaths this year despite attempts by the highway patrol, Sheriff's Office and police departments to get tougher on speeders, red-light runners and aggressive drivers, as well as attempts by politicians, engineers and others to improve safety.

Through Tuesday, 196 people died in Orange County traffic, up from the previous high of 186 last year.

"People don't know. They've become complacent with traffic deaths. They're outraged that 2,000 soldiers doing their jobs are getting killed. That is horrible; but there were 3,344 people killed just in Florida, just commuting," Sgt. Jorge Delahoz, spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, said last week, before the latest death toll was counted.

One reason more people are dying on Florida roads is because more people are driving, so Delahoz and traffic-safety experts say things aren't as bad as they seem. Officials calculate a statewide fatality rate based on estimates of the number of miles driven. That rate has been going down steadily in recent years even as the death totals have been going up. The 2005 rate won't be calculated until next summer.

This year's toll grew quickly as the days ticked by.

On Jan. 3 three members of a visiting Kentucky family, including two young children, were killed in a crash in west Volusia County. Two days later, an Orlando woman lost control of her car on Hiawassee Road and struck and killed a 14-year-old boy who had just stepped off a school bus. A week later a similar crash killed a 15-year-old boy waiting at a school-bus stop in Lake Wales.

Before the year's first month was over, five people died in a crossover crash on Interstate 75 in Fort Myers, then six died in a Coral Springs crash involving a car that troopers estimated was traveling 108 mph when it hit another car in an intersection.

Eric Hill, a transportation planner who is overseeing some of the Central Florida road-safety programs coordinated by MetroPlan Orlando, said it's probably too soon to expect any improvements in road safety or driver, pedestrian and bicyclist behavior, but those improvements should come.

"You'll see more enforcement. You'll see more public awareness. More education. I think you'll see some policy initiatives," Hill said. "The [traffic death total] numbers are important. They show how much work we have to do."

Hill and other safety planners know that behind every number is a tragedy.

In February, a young couple, their baby and a relative were killed in a Haines City crash. In March, a 9-year-old girl on her way to school died in Rockledge. In April, a road-construction worker was killed on Florida's Turnpike in Lake County while helping install safety guardrails.

Few parts of the state or of Central Florida have escaped the rising-fatality trend.

In 2005, Lake County had racked up 73 fatalities by Tuesday, already beating 2003's record of 72. Polk County tied its 2004 record of 142 deaths with days to go before the year's end. And Brevard, Osceola and Volusia counties also are close to setting new traffic fatality records this year. Only Seminole County has seen a downturn, but officials there are cautiously optimistic. Last year saw an extraordinary rash of traffic deaths, with 62 fatalities -- 20 more than the previous record set in 2001. Through Tuesday, 40 people had been killed on Seminole highways.

"I think 2004 was out of the norm," said Robin Butler, who heads a countywide traffic-safety team.

Seminole County, too, has been trying to make roads safer with more law enforcement, education programs and equipment, such as new lights atop traffic signals that help police catch red-light runners. Those efforts might have helped stem the carnage on S.R. 46, where deaths have dropped. But Butler also said she expects that having safer streets overall will take a while.

Meanwhile, throughout Central Florida, the beat went on.

A brother and sister were killed on Americana Boulevard in May in a crash with a driver fleeing Orange County deputies. In June, two 15-year-old boys were killed in Ocoee when one drove a pickup into a tree at high speed. Later that month two Seminole County girls, 9 and 16, were killed when the sport utility vehicle they were riding in spun out of control and rolled off Interstate 95 in Brevard County.

A Lake Howell High School football player was killed on a motorcycle when a pickup hit him on Red Bug Lake Road in October. Later that month, four motorcyclists who had stopped along S.R. 415 in west Volusia County because of an earlier accident were struck and killed.

There were some bright signs. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise spent $65 million to install median guardrails along 166 miles the past two years and saw an immediate drop in deadly crossover crashes, as well as a big drop overall in highway deaths. Through Tuesday, 49 people had died on Florida's Turnpike this year, compared with 94 last year. A similar guardrail program, on a longer timetable, is under way on interstates throughout the state.

"If we see numbers go down, it's still not enough," said Frank Penela, spokesman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "It would be nice to be able to eliminate all crashes. It would be nice to have people slow down, and use seat belts, and make common-sense decisions when they're on the road, and Florida's roads will be safer, even with all the people that are driving."