Published on Monday, September 26, 2005
in the Lakeland Ledger

FHP Aims Efforts Along I-4, Elsewhere At Saving Lives

This is in response to a letter Sept. 18, titled "Mixed (Traffic) Signal" [from a driver who received a traffic ticket for changing lanes on Interstate 4 without using a turn signal, and who said that the Highway Patrol trooper would not listen to his explanation that "I usually cancel my signal part way through the lane change so people in the adjoining lanes can tell I am only moving over one lane"].

Florida is faced with phenomenal growth. We are gaining more than 1,000 new residents each day and host more than 70 million visitors each year. Unsafe driving behavior continues to be the leading cause of traffic crashes in our state.

The Florida Highway Patrol uses marked, unmarked and nonconventional vehicles to enforce speed limits, and other traffic laws, for both passenger and commercial-truck traffic on Florida's highways. In addition to these vehicles, the patrol uses seven aircraft statewide to detect speeders and aggressive drivers.

As a result of these efforts, last year the patrol issued 857,688 citations, 230,762 written warnings and 110,962 faultyequipment notices for violations of traffic laws, in addition to investigating 235,315 motor-vehicle crashes.

Revenue generated from traffic citations issued by Florida Highway Patrol troopers is distributed according to Section 318.21, Florida Statutes. Notably, our agency does not receive any portion of the money generated from traffic citations. Information on this section, as well as other laws, can be found online at www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm.

In the letter to the editor, the writer asks, how many people have had the experience of being cited for a traffic violation on Interstate 4? We respectfully submit that the proper question our residents and visitors ought to be asked is, "How many people in the Tampa area have a loved one, a friend, a co-worker, or someone they know who was either killed or injured in a traffic crash?"

Last year, more than 3,200 lives were lost in Florida as a result of vehicular crashes. It's easy to forget that dry statistics represent real people and real lives. However, our troopers are too familiar with the unpleasant responsibility of knocking on the door of a residence and having to tell someone that their loved one is not coming home.

With regard to the citation the writer received, we recommend the use of the judicial process, which is established to resolve issues such as this. Exercising that option provides all parties involved with the opportunity to present factual information for the consideration of the Court.

The men and women of the Florida Highway Patrol work around the clock each day, seeking to provide the safest possible driving experience for all. Our members take our mission of courtesy, service and protection very seriously. We hope the public understands that our enforcement efforts are undertaken in an effort to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries caused by violations of the state's traffic laws.

COL. CHRISTOPHER A. KNIGHT

Director

Florida Highway Patrol

Tallahassee