Published on Tuesday, November 22, 2005
in the Melbourne Florida Today

FHP cracks down on turkey day speeders

Forget the turkey, patrol officers will be talking traffic for the four-day Thanksgiving weekend as 2 million motorists hit the state's highways to be with family and friends.

In Brevard County, several agencies from the Melbourne Police Department to the sheriff's office will be out packing radar guns, watching for speeders and ticketing those drivers who don't keep passengers - especially children - buckled up.

The Florida Highway Patrol - the agency responsible for traffic control on Interstate 95 and other area highways - started enforcing what it calls Operation Safe Ride today as people make preparations for one of the heaviest travel weekend's of the year.

Last year, the operation targeted commercial vehicles for traffic violations but this year the focus will be on people speeding.

The goal: to stop speeders and stem the number of fatal accidents on a weekend known for family gatherings and good times.

"People are under the impression they can go 10 miles over the speed limit and not get ticketed but when you do that you put yourself and others at risk for an accident," said Kim Miller, spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

The agency will have at least four extra troopers - some on motorcycles, others in unmarked cars - on Brevard's roads to augment its team of six traffic officers.

"Speed is a common denominator in a lot of our accidents. We can't issue a ticket unless you're going 5 miles over the speed limit but we will be stopping anyone who does. It's not okay to go 10 miles or even 8 miles over the limit. It's a huge misconception," Miller said.

During last year's Thanksgiving weekend, 55 people were killed in fatal crashes on the state's highways. Of those, 24 of the crashes involved alcohol, statistics show.

In Brevard, one person was killed in a single-vehicle rollover on the weekend following the holiday.

This year, just over 2 million people are expected to take trips by car 50 miles or more from home to mark Thanksgiving in Florida, according to AAA Auto Club South.

The auto club also predicts that 37.3 million Americans - a .08 increase over 2004's numbers - will also be on the road nationwide visiting friends and family for the long holiday weekend.

"It's a nominal increase over what we had last year," said Gregg Laskoski, spokesman for the AAA Auto Club South's Tampa office.

"But when you have this many people traveling on the road, it increases the probability that there will be an increase in the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities," he said.

Laskoski recommends holiday celebrants consider relaxing after the big turkey dinner rather than trying to take a long drive back home.

"It really makes more sense," he said. "Just get a fresh start the next morning."