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ECSO Deploys Speed-Checking Trailers That Use Technology To Battle Speeding
May 25, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has new trailers that alert drivers to their speed while using technology to aid in the fight against speeders.
The trailers went into service after Sheriff Chip Simmons took office. They can be deployed to areas with known or citizen reported speed problems, according to Commander Andrew Hobbs.
Each of the 17 trailers display the speed of passing vehicles, complete with small flashing red and blue LED lights to attract driver attention, very much like similar equipment has done for years. But there’s more.
The units collect anonymous data on vehicle speeds, which Hobbs said allows the ECSO to work smarter.
“We can look at the statistics and average speed to determine what time to do traffic enforcement efforts,” he said.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office speed trailer on North Century Boulevard just south of the state line. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “ECSO Deploys Speed-Checking Trailers That Use Technology To Battle Speeding”
I live on Fowler Ave between 9 mile and 9 1/2 mile roads and this street appears to be a cut through for traffic and speed seems to be excessive. I dont have a radar gun so I am guessing at speeds. There are no posted speed limit signs on this little stretch of road so my guess is drivers feel they can travel as fast as they need to. This is a residential area yet much of the traffic is dump trucks and larger trucks with trailers. There are speed bumps however they seem to have very little affect .
Speed Checking trailer would be great however I would like to see speed limit signs posted first.
Lol….nothing will be done. Prove me wrong. Answer this….how many deputies have you seen writing tickets? My count is 0….how about yours?
When deployed they are set up for different speeds. For example if it’s a 35mph zone street then they would set it to start displaying speed at say 25mph. Then they would set the second tier at 35 so it would actually flash the speed past 35mph. The next tier is the red and blue lights. They would be set at say 45mph so any speed hit at 45 or above would trigger the red and blue lights. The final tier is the cut off speed. This is set so at or beyond a set speed, say 60, the trailer would no longer display anything. This is designed to prevent people from using it as a high score game. It DOES collect data for number of cars, speeds, times of speeding. That data is used to determine the best time for actual enforcement. It can also disprove a speeding complaint on a road. We get a lot of calls for speeding “OMG their gonna kill kids!” And the speed trailers will show that there isn’t a problem their at all. The speed trailers pictured in this article do not read tags or take pictures. Just data collection.
They had similar devices in New Jersey when I visited. If you went by speeding you got a ticket in the mail.. oh joy.
The real problem is tailgating, passing where it is not safe due to visibility or oncoming traffic, and distractions (phones, roadside signs, vehicles operating without daytime running lights, or without headlights after dusk or before dawn, and irregular lighting on vehicles). The tailgating problem won’t be fixed until vehicles start using onboard radar to warn drivers that they do not have sufficient safe stopping distance ahead. Have to give it to Kia there for making that standard on the Seltos.
Henry Coe, the metal sign is not mechanical. It is just a metal sign. It doesn’t collect any data. The only data is the speed of the vehicles that pass the trailer.
Need this on New Chemstrand rd. With Ensley st. and Johnson Ave. cut through, speeders all the time. Residential area.
Kudos to the Sheriffs department. Please deploy one on 297 a . I hope the sheriffs office gets more funding for deputies . They need more manpower and we the citizens protection
Challenge accepted
Yes, the Sheriff Dept. put one on Denver Ave. It is ridiculous the speeders on that road. The speed checking trailer did NO good to be put there! I have not seen one officer pull anyone over and give them a ticket. The speed checker on Denver at the time would not register any vehicles doing over 45mph. One being a neighbor. He would drive as fast as he could to check his speed, when he would get over 45mph the speed checker would go blank. One of the kids in the neighborhood are going to be hit, severely injured or killed. I have also had speeders come right through my front yard. On two occasions the kids had just went in the house, if they had not came in when they did 10 minutes later they would have been killed. They also ran over my water meter the last time, busted it and I had to pay someone to fix it. ECUA would not fix it, since the damage was on my side of the meter. Idiots!!! they are either too high to care if they run over someone’s child, stupid or either really do not care. ESCO, please put a patrol car on Denver. These people just play with the speed checker because you have not been out there to catch them. So why should they care? Nothing will be done until one of them kills someone’s child. Then ESCO it will be to late. Praying for the children safety.
Frank Reeder Road has different speed limits that can change at any point. On one side of Bridalwood it is 35mph, on the other side it is 45mph. If it was set at a lower speed limit, that is better than a higher.
We miss the one coming into the Century area….wish they’d keep one there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SWEET! Now I can try to top my score every time I pass one!
Them lights flashed one night and you bet I hit the breaks lol
need to put one on Navy Blvd, between “W” street and “chiefs way” people fly over that area, and i mean fly, 70-80 MPH
Do they have tag readers also?
@ Steve – Why would you even care unless you’re one of the ones speeding???
There was one of these on Fowler Ave for a couple weeks, it was perfect placement, as people think this is a speed limit free pass through. The sign is gone now, and people are back to driving like it’s a drag way. Time to put some officers on side streets and start handing out tickets over here.
They set one up on Bridlewood Rd.
As soon as some people passed it they ht the gas.
Some made it a point to go fast enough to trigger the lights.
About half kept the speed limit past the sign.
The sheriff dept (traffic division)
did set one on my street…….Thanks YOU
But, it did not stop the speeding…..
matter of fact it only got worse……….
It won’t matter. We had a permanent one on Cove for years. People used it to see how fast they could go. The only ones who paid attention to the flashing lights were the ones who live in the neighborhood.
But I wish the Sheriff’s Dept. and areas where it is deployed GOOD LUCK!
Send a real ticket if over 10 mph. That will pay for the machine in less than a week. Also put them at traffic lights. Many times I have stopped when it was yellow and be at a full stop, when an idiot in next lane is blowing by well above the speed limit, 1-2 seconds after it was red. That’s over 100 ft of travel after it is red.
We had one of these on Frank Reeder Rd between Rebel Rd & Btidalwood. The trailer has a sign that says 35mph but as far as I can tell, based on the posted speed limit sign closer to Beulah Rd, the speed limit on Frank Reeder Rd in that area in 45mph.
So what does this mean toward the data? The machine is set wrong so it is recording information from people not speeding as it accuses them of speeding. Or is it that because the trailer is on the shoulder of the road and it presents a traffic hazard that justifies the 35mph speed limit sign affixed to the trailer,lol.
I think the trailer is a good idea but it needs to be managed and set properly.
They put one on Denver Avenue where the speed limit is 25mph. People have always rode my rear bumper and even pass me while I go the speed limit. A few might now realize the speed limit on Denver is 25, not 45+. Also, they put one on Community Drive where the limit is 35. I kid you not, I know some vehicles are doing 60mph on Community. They think it is a long straight drag strip.
Desperately need on Highway 97 especially in no passing zones. Drivers pass on double yellow lines there daily !
As long as they only collect autonomous data.. And not send you a REAL ticket..