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FHP To Target Tickets For Aggressive Drivers
November 10, 2012
Beginning Monday, the Florida Highway Patrol will kick off a campaign targeting aggressive cars and trucks.
The program, called TACT or Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks, is aimed at reducing commercial motor vehicle related crashes, injuries and fatalities by combining outreach and education with targeted enforcement activities to raise awareness among car and truck drivers about safe driving behaviors.
“The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to reducing the number of commercial vehicle related crashes,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Crash reduction can be achieved if we all share the highway with each other and avoid aggressive driving behaviors.”
Troopers will be on the lookout for violations attributed to aggressive driving such as following too closely,unsafe lane change and speeding.
“Safety on Florida‘s roadways is a cooperative effort by cars and trucks alike. As an industry, safety is at the top of our minds—it matters above all else,” said Florida Trucking Association President and CEO, Mary Lou Rajchel. “We are pleased with the opportunity to take our No Zone message about safe driving behaviors around big rigs on the road with the Florida Highway Patrol. Pairing the big trucks equal big blind spots message with the opportunity to see what our drivers see‘ through community education is a unique approach that we believe
will promote responsible driving for everyone.”
Comments
30 Responses to “FHP To Target Tickets For Aggressive Drivers”
FHP couldn’t be bothered to show up to an agressive driving scene where I was rammed and threatened by an enraged driver because I honked at her when she cut me off causing me to barely avoid hitting her. I waited at the scene after reporting it to the police for two hours before I finally gave up and went home.
Put DOT on hwy 95A for awhile. One log truck actually was in such a hurry yesterday that he ran off the road up by Molino Rd after speeding from 29 down 95A!
@Waste of Time, I strongly disagree. We have many small towns in America and in those towns and remote counties, we sometimes have problems with local LE, Flomaton Ala. case in point.
If you are in a jam with local LE, who are venturing outside regulation and procedure, who you gonna call?
waste of time and money. disband highway patrol and direct the resources locally. We dont need the cowboys of the highways any more. the local yocals can do the job.
Let us not forget those idiots that will stop their car and impede the flow of traffic in order to let someone out of a parking lot (to be nice!), and those that feel if they are leaving a parking lot, it is THEIR RIGHT to exit into the flow of traffic instead of waiting for an opening.
I don’t know how many times I’ve been sitting on 9 mile and Pine Forest going east, and the light changes, but I’m still stuck for another light because someone thinks it’s their duty to let everyone exit out of the Tom Thumb!!
Thanks. Still not in a hurry to get to the next red light.
I think the real intent of this story is about aggressive drivers who tailgate everybody no matter how fast you go or what lane you are in. They endanger everybody because they cannot brake fast enough when they are only feet away from someone’s bumper. And in the end how much time do they really save? Just not worth the risk! And dan-o I was just joking with you. Chill out.
@Jack, My info came from Wikipedia and the Florida driver’s handbook. This is all I could find:
Florida “Standard” Speed Limits
Municipal Speed Areas . . . 30
Business or Residential Area . . . 30
Rural Interstate . . . 70*
Limited Access Highways . . . 70
All Other Roads and Highways . . . 55*
School Zones . . . 20
*The 55 MPH maximum speed limit is still in effect in Florida except where otherwise posted. *Speed limits are 70 MPH on some rural interstate highways. Speed limits may be changed on other multi-lane highways and in areas where the conditions require lower speeds. Drivers should not assume because the area appears to be a particular urban, municipality, business or highway area that the speed is the standard or expected speed zone. Observe and obey the posted speed signs as there may be frequent changes from area to area along the selected roads or highways.
Driving Too Slowly is also Against the Law
Drive with the flow of traffic (within the speed limit). You should not drive so slowly that you block other vehicles moving at normal, safe speeds. You can be issued a ticket for driving too slowly. When the posted speed limit is 70 mph, the minimum speed limit is 50 mph.
I don’t think that a residential area that has a posted speed limit of 30 would have a minimum speed. People might just think you are “creeping up for a drive-by.”
“What’s the minimum speed on 29 or a residential street?”
Florida’s minimum speed limit on Interstate Highways is now 50 mph in most 70 mph zones, up from the previous 40 mph minimum. In 55 mph, and 65 mph urban interstate zones, the minimum remains 40 mph.
In addition to the legally defined maximum speed, minimum speed limits may be applicable. Occasionally there are default minimum speed limits for certain types of roads, generally freeways.
Comparable to the common basic speed rule, most jurisdictions also have laws prohibiting speeds so low they are dangerous or impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic.
You got me. Good for you.
What’s the minimum speed on 29 or a residential street? (real question) There must be one but I’ve never thought about minimum anywhere but interstate.
“Dan-o, if you are driving the speed limit, you are not impeding traffic. I don’t care how fast you want to get to the next red light.”
Tell me where in my post that you read that I was complaining about anyone who is doing the speed limit? You know, there is a minimum speed as well as speed “limit.” My complaint is about people who drive in the left hand lane who are driving way under the speed limit, close to the minimum. If you are so knowledgeable about traffic laws, maybe you should pay attention to the one (along with posted signs) that says: SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT.
Dan-o, if you are driving the speed limit, you are not impeding traffic. I don’t care how fast you want to get to the next red light.
I think 95a has become the route of choice for trucks to avoid the DOT check point..
I hope the highway patrol gets these raving lunitics. They need to put one right their on Michigan Ave in Pensacola. Try going 40mph on that road they will try to run right over you no matter what lane you are in. Amazing how many speed down the road just to get the next red light.
I see trucks fully loaded flying down 95A. One almost hit me because it was tailgating and would not slow down when I had my turn signal on. I took that sharp turn at almost 40mph and thought I would lose control of my car….it was either that or get hit by an 18 wheeler! Not much of a choice. I hope they look at 95A…a lot of trucks are using it lately.
The Florida Trucking Association President needs to have classes with the truck drivers. A lot of the aggressive driving I see on Hwy 97 and Hwy 29 are them.
Regarding:
“Sounds like “dan-o” will be getting a ticket soon!”
Sounds like “BigMike” is one of those people that I was talking about. Stay in the right lane where you belong, or learn to move over.
+1 on the addicts zoom, zoom, zoooooooming around the methadone clinic in the earlier morning hours on Hwy 29 near W. Roberts Rd. They are even more dangerous after they pick up their daily stash.
+infinity on the slow drivers and 18 wheelers clogging up the left lane on Hwy 29, some people are just plain rude and completely inconsiderate of others.
When a vehicle comes up on my bumper, I move over ASAP! I just assume they have some place important to be and get out of the way.
I am not a LEO and it is not my jo to enforce the speed limit but way too many other drivers seem to think it is their job to control the speed of traffic for some ignorant reason.
If someone wants to speed and doesn’t have a legitimate reason that is between them and the police officer who catches them or their insurance company when they wreck.
Hey CW,, I agree with you completely ! I’ve been saying it for years, the four lane
highway system was designed for people to drive in the right-hand lane and pass
or turn from the left!! It’s not that complicated people!!
hope that someone spreads the word to the folks that race to the methadone clinic (on 29) in the mornings……
Yes please continue to NO ZONE education. they came to my school back in 03 or 04 and let us get in an 18 wheeler and see where the blind spots are and just how big they are…they also had painted on the side of the truck all of the blind spots as you go around the trucks. Also, had a truck driver speaking to us and giving us tips about sharing the road way like to wait 8 seconds after passing the truck to move back over so you don’t cut them off etc. It made me more aware as a teenage driver so I know it helped at least one!
Sounds like “dan-o” will be getting a ticket soon!
I wish they’d go after these fools who drive with pets on their laps. How in the heck can you react to an emergency situation with a schnauzer’s BUTT in your face?! I can’t wait for the airbag to go off and see where that dogs rearend go’s!
Things I find aggressive and inspiring? Let’s see:
Not slowing down on a dirt road, so as not to smother passing motorist with dust.
Passing on a dirt road, which I should not list as you are simply not going to accomplish that. Not with me anyway. (LE/EMS excepted).
Tailgating.
Tailgating with your headlights on bright.
Not dimming your headlights to oncomming traffic.
Those death beam headlights from @#$$, that blind oncomming traffic, regardless of Lo/Hi beam setting.
Pulling onto the road into the path of oncomming traffic and then stopping in the road. (I have for decades, noticed a prevalence of this condition among certain sets).
Turning without signaling.
I wish some people on Hwy 29 would learn to move over to the right lane. I always see people driving slowly in the left lane, which causes everybody else to tailgate and make attempts to get around them. I’m not talking about people who are turning left, I’m talking about people who stay in the left lane for 20 miles.
They need to come out to the two lane roads leading to Inneraity and Perdido Key. Any one that dares to drive the speed limit out here is taking their lives into their own hands
Tailgating on I-10, PLEASE do something about the trucks who risk everyone’s safety doing that.
Yes Dan-o, drivers who don’t understand how aggresive that driving behavior is will be the ones they will be after.
I absolutely agree with the right lane comment and impeding the flow of traffic. Many times people do erratic things just trying to get around these inconsiderate or ignorant (I don’t know which they are) people. Stop them and tell them the rules and those of us who stay on the go won’t have to be such stressed out drivers because of them them stopping up traffic.
Regarding:
Troopers will be on the lookout for violations attributed to aggressive driving such as following too closely,unsafe lane change and speeding.
I don’t consider any of these things to be aggressive, just unlawful. If you don’t drive “aggressively” in Pensacola, you will get ran over! Maybe some other things to look out for would be the elderly, teens, and rubberneckers who impede the flow of traffic. Maybe you could pull over some of the people who don’t know that the right hand lane is for them…including 18-wheelers.