FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – In 2020, Flagler County’s crashes dropped. However crashes with accidents and fatalities greater than doubled.
Sheriff Rick Staly blamed distracted driving for the dramatic improve. He mentioned the no-texting-and-driving legislation that Information 6 helped cross in 2019 isn’t making drivers put down their telephones.
“It will definitely look like that if you see all people happening the street with a cellphone,” Staly mentioned. “The poster baby of what you’re not purported to do is the feminine driver that ran over [Volusia County] Sheriff Chitwood on a bicycle.”
So Staly determined to deal with what he referred to as “the foundation trigger” of visitors crashes – distracted driving. He rolled out Operation T.I.D.E.S. (Texting whereas driving, Impaired driving, driving whereas Distracted or Exhausted, and Dashing).
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“We are able to both simply take fatalities and visitors crashes with accidents and say nicely there’s nothing we are able to do, or we are able to focus and try to have an effect,” Staly mentioned.
Patrol deputies are actually focusing their consideration on texting and driving and handing out tickets after they see it, particularly at school zones and building zones the place it’s unlawful to simply maintain a cellphone.
Deputy Greg Nunziato mentioned he sees distracted driving in all places.
“It’s all day on daily basis,” Nunziato mentioned. “No matter it’s that they’re distracted by of their automotive is inflicting the vast majority of our crashes, particularly in congested areas the place you see a number of the rear-end collisions as a result of persons are so busy on their telephones.”
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Workplace handed out the second most texting and driving tickets in 2020, behind Orange County.
A number of Central Florida counties issued tickets within the single digits, in response to the 2020 Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle report.
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2020 Complete Citations Issued Statewide: 3,410
Florida Freeway Patrol: 1,090
Orange County Sheriff’s Workplace: 114
Flagler County Sheriff’s Workplace: 64
Volusia County Sheriff’s Workplace: 59
Seminole County Sheriff’s Workplace: 18
Sumter County Sheriff’s Workplace: 9
Lake County Sheriff’s Workplace: 6
Brevard County Sheriff’s Workplace: 4
Marion County Sheriff’s Workplace: 4
Orlando Police: 12
Melbourne Police: 12
Daytona Seashore Police: 3
UCF Police: 2
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