Wrong-Way Driving Crackdown Results Released

While no wrong-way drivers were located during the Florida Highway Patrol’s first crackdown on the dangerous and potentially deadly driving error that doesn’t mean troopers weren’t busy during the four-day effort.

Between Oct. 16-19 troopers from around the state teamed up to increase enforcement on Hillsborough County’s roads in an effort to prevent wrong-way driving incidents. So far, 11 people have died in 2014 on Tampa Bay area roads due to wrong-way drivers. There have also been a number of arrests related to driver impairment and wrong-way driving.

The Oct. 16-19 enforcement effort was the first of three planned initiatives by the highway patrol to curb the numbers of incidents.

The 30 troopers assigned to the Hillsborough County detail wrote a number of citations and made several arrests. A breakdown of their results during the four-day period follows:

• Child restraint citations – 4
• Driving while license suspended or revoked – 17
• DUI – 18
• Crash investigations – 5
• Warrant arrests – 8
• Move over citations – 57
• Seatbelt citations – 27
• Drug/narcotics arrests – 18
• Speeding citations – 161
• Safety equipment notices – 133
• Miscellaneous traffic citations – 273
• Written warnings – 353
• Felony arrests – 16
• Misdemeanor arrests – 45

Two additional enhanced enforcement efforts are planned in the coming weeks, but the dates have not yet been announced.

See Also:

• Troopers Launch ‘Intensive Patrols’ to Stop Wrong-Way Drivers
• Update: Tampa Police Officer Struck by Wrong-Way Driver
• Wrong-Way Driver on Veterans Thought She Was on I-75, Troopers Say
• Wrong-Way Driver Arrested on Veterans Expressway
• Wrong-Way Crashes: How Would You Prevent Them?
• 3 Dead in I-275 Wrong-Way Crash
• Wrong-Way Driver Collides with Ambulance in Fatal Crash
• Wrong-Way Driver Arrested in Clearwater
• Wrong-Way Driver Causes Fatal U.S. 301 Crash
• Chamberlain Teacher Arrested in I-75 Wrong-Way Driving Incident