Troopers: Ease off that pedal

TAMPA -- Speeders, take heed.

The director of the Florida Highway Patrol announced this morning a statewide crackdown on speeding.

Dubbed "Operation Safe Ride," troopers this weekend will use lasers, radars, helicopters, motorcycles, marked and unmarked FHP cruisers to nab speeders on each interstate and major state road as well as Florida's Turnpike.

Officials say March and April have historically been the peak months for traffic crashes. This weekend's special detail aims to reduce the number of traffic crashes over the spring break weekend.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Comments

[bsrevenuegeneratinggarbage]

These speed traps are for no reason but to generate revenue. Sad and pathetic. So any other weekend it is ok to speed ? "Aims to reduce the number of traffic accidents" what a pant load. Enforce the speed limits 365 days a year if that is your "aim".

Speeding has got out of hand. Follow the road signs not the speeder. Believe me, there is not a pot of gold being first.

[Maverick]

"I feel the need, the need for speed."

[independentbeerisamazing]

As a casual speeder myself, I have something i want to get across. Speeding really isn't the issue, it is reckless driving. If people followed the Drive Right Pass Left (DRPL) standard that other states and countrys have passed as laws, you would not get the hot head drivers dangerously weaving through traffic because the person in the left lane of the interstate is going 10mph under the speed limit. It is safer to flow with the speed of traffic than to be the sore thumb sticking out. But if you want to be that sore thumb please just have the decency to move over. Thats all i ask. All in all it'll make the FHP's job much easier cause they'll only have one lane to monitor. PS - i agree with the first post, having more speed traps shouldn't just be a way to make your quota.

[Edward]

Ah, St.Patty's day. Let's make a few extra bucks for the state, boys.

[SlowerTrafficKeepRight]

independentbeerisamazing - I couldn't agree more. I commute from TPA to Sarasota every day and it amazes me the number of people that think they are entitled to the left lane. Yeah I may be speeding but you are breaking the law by staying in the left hand lane...

[Aaron]

I do not see how you can make the comment, "These speed traps are for no reason but to generate revenue." Get real and stop compaling. You play, you pay! If you can't pay the fine, then don't speed. I speed and I know I am taking the risk of getting a ticket every time. If I get caught, it is no one's fault except mine.

[Jim]

It's simple. Go the speed limit and you won't get a ticket for speeding

[Kenneth]

Yeah, no sympathy for speeders. Speeding is reckless driving - there are certain safety boundries that are broken when you increase the differential speed between you and the average car on the highway. I do loves me a good story of a speeding driver wrapping their car around a telephone pole, though.

[Sammy Hagar]

I can't drive 55.

[Mike]

I am begging the cops to please start cracking down on people who refuse to use their turn signal. It is dangerous, annoying and discourteous. This is the worst place on earth to walk or bike.

[mrmoose]

The "speed limit" is just what it says. It is the UPPER limit of the speed we're to drive. Anything above it is our own risk. Pretty basic stuff. Certainly the Drive Right Pass Left (DRPL)standard should be in effect everywhere as it once was, but for now why not slow down just a tad and be a little more careful out there. You do not own the road...your license is a priviledge, not a right...use it wisely.

[Al]

I speeding were really the issue, and not the generation of revenue, all motorized vehicles - with the exception of LEO's vehicles - would be factory governed at the maximum state speed limit. If the federal government, on down to the local municipalities, suddenly lost revenues earned via the enforcement of speeding infractions, there would be scores of powerful individuals unemployed because their payrolls would disappear. Traffic enforcement, in its current state, is yet another manifestation of a very corrupt government. Isn't that correct Mr. Governor of New York? Enjoy your payday State of Florida, and we, your lowley inhabitants, will continue to suffer these hard economic times. Shame on you.

[bsrevenuegeneratinggarbage]

I am real and unsure of what "compaling" is ? If they were out there every day busting speeders it would be different. That is not so. I have gotten tickets and deserved said tickets .Not the issue. Stop passing off these revenue generators as safety measures because they are not. There was one on Bryan Dairy early this week that generated a bunch of revenue and messed up afternoon rush hour as they had the road closed down to one lane in some places. If speeding is bad then it is bad 365 days a year not just one weekend.

[Jb]

the state passed a law stating that if your in the left lane and someone comes up on you and flashes there lights you are to move to the right and let them pass,that for a fact does not happen,I've flashed my lights and you old goats still don't get out of the way,I speed and when I get caught I pay my fines,if someone wants to go faster than I,I will get out of the way.if you play,sometimes you have to pay

10:11 has it right. Speed traps are revenue generators, peroid! Consistant enforcement in Florida is a joke, and the cops know it as they throw up their hands in frustration. Highway bullies rule the roads, I have seen it for 14 years down here, I have seen cops pull into the station rather than stop a speeder as they go off duty. Pathetic law enforcement.

[Scott]

If one does their research, one will come to the conclusion that speed does not kill. Over 70% of traffic citations in the state of Florida are for speeding, but speeding is listed as a primary or secondary cause in less than 20% of fatal accidents. Failing to Yield is the number one cause. These statistics are compiled by the very same highwa patrol agency that is setting special weekend speed traps.
What needs to happen is people need to demand from our state lawmakers to give better enforcement direction to our enforcement agencies.
In Florida, the number one reason for fatal accidents? Failure to yield to a traffic control device(redlight or stop sign). So while they are out this weekend setting speed traps, people will be getting killed at interssections everywhere.

[Jack]

Agreed! If everybody would drive on the right & pass on the left it would reduce accidents because there would be no need to weave in & out of traffic. Nothing worse than getting behind a driver with a cell phone in their ear doing 10 miles under the limit in the left lane. There is one cause for road rage! Hey, it works on the Autobon

[Drew]

The cops need to concentrate on bikers, they are the speed demons!

Drive right, pass left. I do not think that passed as law in Florida, not enough support, also Florida does not require you to use turn signals, as some other states do. I always use mine for turns, but for changing lanes, if I use my turn signal some aggressive driver speeds up and trys to keep me from changing, so it's quicker to look and change.

Jack: ...did you mean "autobahn?"

[independentbeerisamazing]

Actually no, Our x governor Jeb Bush vetoed the Drive right, pass left law, saying that it encouraged speeding. Dont even get me started on how annoying and irresponsible that is. and to Drew, explain how a FHP cruiser that tops out at 129 mph could catch certain bikes that go 185 mph? ps helicopter tops out at around 150-160.

Speeders are wired for road rage. Once they arrive at their destination, the same aggression is right in the faces of the law abiding. Be it at home or in the workplace, I don't cater to them in any shape or form. Learned the headway and it almost killed me. And no, I DON'T CARE "WHO YOU ARE OR WHO YOU KNOW!"

[Doing 61MPH At A Stoplight]

I don't mind paying the fine if I'm caught speeding. It's happened more than once in my 40 years of driving. But I DO see where the Clearwater Cops seem to have a scam going. They've ticketed me for speeding when I was sitting at a stop light "doing 61 mph in a 45 zone" which is conveniently the level that goes from "speeding fine" to "UP YOUR BUTT EXPENSIVE." I challenged the ticket and brought proof that there is no way my vehicle could have accelerated to that speed from a stoplight in less than a tenth of a mile. The hearing officer wouldn't allow the evidence to prove my innocense, believed the LIE of the police officer (and I normally have enormous respect for the police), then ADDED $60 to my fine PLUS court costs. Then he turned to everyone else that had come to challenge THEIR tickets and said, "See how it works, folks? Now... anyone else want to step up and try THEIR luck?" Everybody went off and paid their tickets.

Lest you think this is merely sour grapes, a member of the Pinellas Country Sherrif's Department put it to me this way: "Those cops are nothing but guys who were bullies in High School and couldn't hack it making fries at McDonalds, so they got jobs with the Clearwater Police and now they have badges authorizing them to be bullies."

These are public servants who serve themselves. And I lose respect for them as a whole when these guys pull this crap.

The solution? SLOW DOWN. Don't give 'em a reason to pull you over. YOU WON'T WIN. It's the WRONG WAY to accomplish their goals, but until we can find a way to break the SCAM they're pulling, watch out. And if they SCAM you the way they did me (at the stop light) all I can tell you is do what I do: Figure out how many times I've sped and NOT been stopped. Divide that into the fine you pay when you DO. I figure it comes out to about 50 cents per speeding incident.

What they're doing isn't RIGHT. But it's getting the job done. Now if we could just get THEM to stop speeding themselves when they are NOT going to emergencies that would be cool. And no, Officer Numbnutz... that's NOT an emergency at Dunkin Donuts.

[RB]

I bet all those cops jump in their cruisers and drive right on the speed limit to work.

[Robert]

Speeding is NOT the problem. Jeb should have pulled his head out of his butt to see what the real problem is. It is the all those that can't walk and chew gum at the same time. They get on their cellphones and they completely forget what they are doing. They go slow or tailgate, don't use a turn signal, RUNNING RED LIGHTS, just not paying any attention to what is going on around them. They are the dangerous ones!!!! They out me and my family in harms way everytime they get behind the wheel. FHP needs to start ticking them when they do these things.

[chris]

To FHP:
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19
patrol US 19

Did I get my point across that US 19, especially Clearwater north through mid-Pasco, is complete and utter chaos?

[Robert]

1:30, You are so wrong. Most speeders do not have road rage. There is a difference between a speeder and one with road rage. Speeders just like to go faster than the speed limit. When the traffic is busy, speeders just keep up with the flow. Road ragers are those that have to weave in and out of traffic and tailgate you to get you out of their way. Those are not speeders, just jerks.

[Marc]

In school zones and neighborhoods, people should drive very very slow! However, most highways and open road speeds are very underated so state and local governments can collect more taxes via speeding fines. If this were not true, and the desire was to slow down traffic, then police would intentionally make a very visible presence, not use planes, speed traps and other stealth techniques to hide in order to purposely issue and create more fines. Anyone who thinks that it is more about safety than money is very naive. Take money out of the picture, and have fines equate only to community service or loss of license. Then see how aggressive speeders are pursued, it would be almost non existent.

[Rodger]

Im not to worried about it, I never see state troopers and I live right off a state road and look at a busy intersection from 60 feet up. I dont think they appreciate all the money they could be making everyday in pinellas county.

[hahahaha]

Wow Drew at least you don't just take a group of people and classify them how you deem right... Not all motorcyclists fit your profile...

That being said if you are on 75 south tonight stay outta left lane Im coming through on the bike at 100++ so outta the way!

[Joe]

The left lane is the passing lane. If your not passing anyone, move over!

[Kenneth]

Wow, it always amazes me that so few people can take any criticism for what they do. "It's not the speeders fault - it's the cops!" F'n grow up you douches. Nothing in the bill of rights says you have a god-given right to drive our roads. If the state says that 65 is the law, then drive 65. Stop whining about it and coming up with fake excuses (such as revenue generating). I'd we willing to bet the state spends much more on resources to catch speeders and scrape people off the road, than it makes in revenue from tickets.

You people are such little kids - "waaaahhhhh - I got pulled over, but it can't possibly be that I did something wrong!" Every ticket I've ever gotten I deserved, and I thanked the COP and told them to be safe out there. Not their fault you're an idiot.

[bsrevenuegeneratinggarbage]

"I'd we willing to bet the state spends much more on resources to catch speeders and scrape people off the road, than it makes in revenue from tickets."
You can't even form a sentence Kenny boy. I would be willing to bet you are way off with that statement. Like I stated earlier - every ticket I recieved I did indeed break a law. No problems there. My problem is calling the speed traps a safety measure. Wrong wrong wrong. Revenue generators is what they are ! How many tickets can we write in one afternoon ? I ride 275 home everyday and everyday I'm passed while doing the speed limit. I have yet to see anyone pulled over while commuting home on 275.
No issue with Police enforcing laws but enforcing laws arbitrarily is way wrong !
It's like saying smoking dope is illegal but we'll only bust you on the 14th of the month for smoking it.

[pancho villas]

Kenneth you didn't get the point.. its the fact that the road blocks are set up to make more money, then next week we can speed all we want again, and THAT is apparently ok...
and to whomever it was to group all motorcyclists as "speed demons"... why don't you go play in traffic?

Just slow down.

[sensiblysane]

I agree people going lower than the speed limit should stay out of left lane BUT when folks are exiting left and are slower drivers, others have to accommodate them. It's dangerous to tailgate a 50 mph'r and flash your lights when they are simply taking a left fork in the road.
Most of the people in the left lane ARE going 55. The people that weave in and out of traffic are usually just dangerous speeders/reckless drivers...not people that HAVE to weave to avoid slow drivers in the left lane...that's just their excuse when the cops pull 'em over.
I say the cops should ALWAYS crack down on speeders.

[cavedog]

Most people think they are Tony Stewart when they get behind the wheel. Shows just how far we HAVEN'T developed as a species.

We all see them, the lane weavers, dodging in and out of traffic, in a great big hurry to get somewhere so they can screw that up too.

Soon gas will be too expensive for us "little" people to use to power our vehicles. It will be electric or public transportation. The only one's who will be able to speed are the rich and the cops. Fine. Let them fight it out on the roads.

In the meantime, if you want to speed, go for it. I generally leave the left lane open on the interstate, but on a city or county road, forget it. You can ride my butt all you like. I really don't care about your Lexus or your flip phone. I'm making time in a safe and orderly manner. Take your rage and put it in your pocket. Save it for your kids Little League games.

[kyle]

If you speed excessively, you get pulled over and fined. If you get arrested, you get your @$$ whooped and locked up. Sounds like a cool job to me.