Published on Friday, December 1, 2006
in the St. Augustine Record

Campaign raises public awareness of traffic fatalities

Traffic fatalities are down in St. Johns County this year, and area law enforcement officials want to keep it that way over the holiday season.

"We want people to realize they have a choice -- they can take a taxi or have a designated driver. They don't want to end up here or in a hospital," said Capt. Brent Coates with the Florida Highway Patrol's Troop G.

"Here" was the Ponte Vedra Palm Valley Cemetery on Thursday, the very dramatic location chosen for this year's "Choose Your Ride" campaign.

The goal of the campaign is to increase public awareness and help reduce the crashes, injuries and fatalities that often occur during the end of the year, St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar said in a news release.

In 2005, there were eight traffic-related fatalities in St. Johns County during the months of November and December.

Coates said traffic fatalities in St. Johns County are down 50 percent from last year. So far in 2006, 21 people have died in traffic accidents. Last year there were 43 fatalities for the year.

FHP state records show that during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's season last year, 40 percent of the fatalities were alcohol-related and 80 percent of the fatalities were from not wearing seat belts.

During this year's Thanksgiving holidays, 85 percent of the fatalities statewide involved people not wearing seat belts, he said.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department and FHP personnel had cars at the cemetery as well -- their reminder that law enforcement will be watching for drunk drivers during the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

St. Johns County's Traffic Safety Team is promoting the message "Celebrate Safely Designate a Driver."

The Florida Department of Transportation handed out its annual collection of non-alcoholic drinks.

"This is our ninth year doing this and people do use them. This year the Tampa area has picked up the idea, too," said DOT's Andrea Atran.

Also on display in the cemetery was a smashed-up car from a traffic accident that sent the driver to the hospital.

St. Johns Sheriff's Officer Col. Art May said the driver wasn't wearing a seat belt and the older car lacked air bags.

May said officers rejected bringing other cars in which fatalities occurred. "They were really messed up," May said.

"Even if drivers are doing absolutely nothing wrong, they need to remember they could be hit head-on by a drunk driver. People need to be aware," said Sgt. Chuck Mulligan, spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.