Hendry Deputies Stepping Up Traffic Enforcement

Unmarked Cars May Patrol State Road 80

LABELLE, FL.-- Lieutenant Susan Harrelle said this week that "Due to the increase of traffic, serious accidents and with the addition of the construction area between Clark Street and Birchwood Parkway, the Hendry County Sheriffs office is taking a pro-active approach to reducing the traffic crashes and risky driving behaviors of motorist in Hendry County."

Harrelle says since January 1, 2009, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has handled over 40 traffic crashes in Hendry County resulting in five fatalities, while Hendry County Deputies worked 104 crashes since January.  Thirty-three of these crashes occurred on State Road 80, the listed cause of these accidents range from speed to careless driving to failure to yield right of way

Sheriff Deputies will be utilizing unmarked vehicles to catch speeders; drivers should be reminded that if cited in a construction zone with workers present, fines are doubled.  Also, driving well below the speed limit causes frustration to drivers and poses a risk for others such as passing in a no passing zone, utilizing turn lanes as passing lanes, or under estimating the speed of an oncoming vehicle.  Slow drivers impede the normal safe flow of traffic, says Harrelle. 

Drivers exceeding the speed limit and those driving well below the posted speed may receive a written warning or traffic citation. 

"State Road 80 is a two-lane, major thorough way between the east coast and west coast and without traffic enforcement, could become a more deadly one," added Harrelle.