Published on Friday, March 3, 2006
in the WCTV News

Stay Alive, Just Drive

With at least 3,515 people died on the roads in 2005, public safety officials are pleading with drivers to put down that cell phone, save the sandwich and focus on the road ahead.

You see them every day, maybe in the car next to you, drivers multi-tasking behind the wheel. Highway safety officials believe distracted driving is one of the reasons a record-high 3,515 people died in motor vehicle crashes in Florida last year.

The state is launching a new campaign called Stay Alive, Just Drive aimed at getting motorists to focus on what they’re doing.

Officials acknowledge they don’t have hard numbers on how big a problem distracted driving is because it’s just not something people admit to. But Highway Safety Director Fred Dickenson says he sees too many drivers focusing on everything but the road ahead.

"Dogs, kids, other people in the car, I see people shaving, putting on makeup,” says Dickenson.

Traffic fatalities increased nine percent last year, and although a lot of that has to do with many more people on the roads, many of them just aren’t paying attention.

And many drivers aren’t paying attention to speed limits, either. One out of every three crash deaths is caused by speeding.

Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Chris Knight says troopers routinely ticket drivers blasting along at well over 100 miles an hour.

"People got to remember that driving is a privilege, not a right, and when it gets to the point where their driver’s license is suspended, maybe that will get their attention,” Knight explains.

But FHP admits it’s understaffed, and troopers can only be so many places at once. They hope this new safety campaign will encourage more motorists to start thinking and driving responsibly before it’s too late.

As part of the Stay Alive, Just Drive campaign, troopers are going on a special offensive over the next two days to crack down on speeders.

All 1,800 troopers will be on the road and in the air, watching for violators.