Slow down! Officials gather to provide update on SWFL roads death toll
Randall Pepitone, acting chief for the Fort Myers Police Department, revealed his younger brother's tragic loss to a drunk driver 37 years ago as a freshman at Texas Tech.
Pepitone recalled his family's pain in a move to alert Southwest Florida of rising deaths on the roads.
"I also saw how it affected my mother for 35 years until her own death," Pepitone said. "These tragedies are completely preventable. And that's why we are here today, in the hopes that other families don't suffer the same losses."
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While each crash is unique, many have commonalities: Distracted driving, exhaustion, speed or alcohol/drugs. Pepitone didn't take questions at the news conference.
Distracted driving is defined as doing another activity that takes the driver's attention away from driving. There are three main types of distraction — visual, manual and cognitive.
Distracted driving increased 127% from 2012 to 2020, Pepitone said.
"I mean, 55 mph while sending or reading a text is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed," Pepitone said. "Think about that, an entire football field with your eyes closed."
A first offense under the Florida Ban on Texting While Driving will result in a nonmoving traffic violation, Pepitone said. A second offense with a conviction within five years is punishable as a moving violation.
"Lastly, parents talk to your children about the dangers that distracted driving creates," Pepitone said. "And please lead by example by never driving distracted."
Drowsy driving is dangerous
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno added that drowsy driving could be just as dangerous, if not fatal.
"The holidays are here and we know that people are going to travel, sometimes long distances, to spend time with loved ones," Marceno said.
Marceno said getting proper rest plays a significant role.
Have patience, avoid alcohol
Cape Coral Police Sgt. Alisha Cody said 56% of drivers involved in serious or fatal crashes test positive for at least one substance.
Lt. Greg Bueno, spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, emphasized that faster speeds reduce reaction time.
"The faster you go, the greater probability that something bad is going to happen," Bueno said.
Lee County so far reports 111 road deaths while Collier County records 37 traffic fatalities, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Statewide, 2,927 people have lost their lives this year going into the holiday season.
"In fact, over the past five years we've lost over 16,000 lives in the state of Florida," Bueno said.
Reckless driving incidents that become fatal result in a felony, Bueno said.
"He sees you when you're speeding ... He knows when you don't brake," Bueno said, in an attempt to grab motorists' attention. "He knows whether you've been bad or good, so be good, slow down, have patience ... For goodness' sake."
Authorities then handed it over to Dr. Maria Alfaro, a trauma surgeon with Lee Health.
Pedestrians, bicyclists at risk
Alfaro said Lee County continues its rating as one of the 10 worst Florida counties for bicyclists and pedestrians, according to Dangerous-By-Design reports. She added that approximately 25% of the trauma alerts arriving at the hospital have some sort of alcohol involvement.
"Everybody thinks it won't happen to them," Alfaro said. "Everybody thinks they can get on their car and drive and they're gonna make it like they made it last time."
Alfaro said the worst days that she has to work and approach families is when she tells them they lost a loved one.
She emphasized watching for pedestrians, cyclists and others as the holiday season looms.
SWFL road deaths in perspective
In 2021, Lee County recorded 115 road fatalities, compared to 107 in 2020 and 98 in 2019.
In contrast, Collier County numbers have consistently dropped during the same time frame — 41 in 2021; 42 in 2020; and 52 in 2019.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SW FL law enforcement give update on road deaths in preventive effort
