Published on Saturday, May 27, 2006
in the Bonita Daily News

Authorities prepare for Memorial Day traffic dangers

With more than 2 million Floridians expected to travel this weekend, local law enforcement agencies are beefing up patrols during what traditionally is one of the most dangerous times on the road.

Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest on Florida highways and is also notorious for drunken drivers, said Lt. Doug Dodson of the Florida Highway Patrol. With that in mind, the FHP and other local law enforcement agencies are initiating safety campaigns that will increase patrols on area roads and waterways.

Forty-four people died on state roads over the last Memorial Day weekend, Dodson said. More than half of those killed were not wearing seat belts, and more than a third died in alcohol-related accidents, Dodson said. Six of the fatalities occurred in the FHP’s local district, which includes Lee and Collier counties, among eight others.

“Alcohol hurts the most, but seatbelt violations are bad (too). When you have these two factors together it can be devastating,” Dodson said.

The FHP will be participating in three campaigns this weekend, including the national “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt awareness campaign, which runs May 14 to June 4. All three will put more officers on roads. During last year’s Memorial Day patrols, the local FHP district issued more than 1,000 citations.

Local roads won’t be spared from the increased patrols. Both the Lee and Collier sheriff’s offices said they’ll have saturation patrols throughout the weekend to cut down on dangerous drivers.

Sgt. Dennis Petracca of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s Traffic Unit said extra patrols will be placed throughout the county, often near major thoroughfares — particularly along U.S. 41 — and near the beach, where thousands of people are expected to enjoy the weekend.

The longer weekend brings out more people and keeps them out longer, Petracca said, meaning little down time for law enforcement officers.

The increased enforcement includes local waters.

Lt. David Johnson of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Marine Bureau said collaborative efforts are being employed by all law enforcement agencies in the county, including the Coast Guard.

In Lee County, Marine Unit Sgt. Jim Erb said he expects almost everyone with a boat to use it at least one of the three days this weekend.

Johnson said he anticipates a large amount of boaters Saturday, Sunday and Monday afternoons, many of them drinking alcohol.

State laws allow boat operators to have an open container of alcohol, but like their counterparts on the road, a boat operator can be arrested for having a blood alcohol content over 0.08. Refusal to take a breath test can result in a $500 fine.

Marine deputies will be stationed throughout Collier’s waters to deter reckless boating and excessive drinking, Johnson said.

“We try to put them in strategic locations,” Johnson said. “The mere presence of a patrol boat generally prevents problems before they happen.”

And the problems could be plenty, Dodson warns.

“Over a holiday (weekend), people drink all times of the day,” Dodson said.