Published on Friday, March 2, 2007
in the Lakeland Ledger

Traffic Fatalities Decline Sharply

LAKELAND - Polk County law enforcement officials reported three traffic fatalities in February, the lowest number of traffic deaths in any month in the past two years, according to Florida Highway Patrol statistics.

Last month's toll represents an 80 percent reduction from the 15 traffic fatalities in February 2006. In February 2005, there were 22 deaths.

"This is really significant," FHP spokesman Trooper Larry Coggins said Thursday. "We sometimes see multiple deaths in one crash."

The figure for February's traffic deaths is preliminary, but there haven't been any months in the past couple of years with so few deaths, Coggins said.

There is no particular month of the year that routinely has a low or high number of traffic deaths, Coggins said.

But monthly traffic deaths usually reach the double digits.

January 2006 is an exception, which saw six traffic fatalities, Coggins said.

There were 16 traffic deaths in January this year and 15 in January 2005, FHP records show. Last year, 145 people died in traffic accidents in Polk.

Coggins attributes the drop in last month's traffic fatalities to education, stricter traffic enforcement from all agencies in Polk County and a "little bit of luck."

On Wednesday and Thursday, FHP conducted their statewide campaign Operation Safe Ride, during which troopers targeted speeders and reckless drivers on Florida's major thoroughfares and roads.

"This is why we do these kinds of campaigns," Coggins said. "To see this type of improvement."

* February 2007: 3*
* February 2006: 15
* February 2005: 22
* January 2007: 16
* January 2006: 6
* January 2005: 15

*preliminary figure Source: Florida Highway Patrol