ADVOCATES PUSH FOR SAFER ROADS IN FLORIDA
W
ith more than 3 million people
living in the greater Tampa Bay,
Florida, area – and the population
continuing to increase – the region’s
transportation system continually
is taxed with traffic congestion and
safety issues.
Many groups are working
proactively to solve transportation
concerns to keep Floridians – and
the state’s millions of visitors – safe
each year. The Florida Department
of Transportation (FDOT) began a
statewide effort in April 1995 to
promote safety campaigns and
strategies by creating Statewide
Community Traffic Safety Teams
(CTSTs). The locally based groups
focus on improving traffic safety in
their communities.
Statewide, more than 293,000
crashes were reported through mid-
October 2017, with more than 2,100
traffic fatalities and more than 121,000
crashes involving injuries, according to
Florida’s Integrated Report Exchange
System. Nearly 6,500 crashes involved
pedestrians with 428 fatalities, and
nearl