St. Cloud is continuing to step up its efforts to promote road safety through the St. Cloud Police Department’s ‘Distracted Driver Reduction’ initiative. Officers are focusing on stopping distracted drivers and enforcing all traffic laws. This initiative aims to emphasize the importance of maintaining safe driving habits, especially as distracted driving—often caused by cell phone use—has become a leading cause of crashes.
In addition to issuing citations, officers are distributing educational pamphlets that highlight the dangers of distracted driving, underscoring the department’s commitment to raising awareness about this growing issue.
On Friday, Chief Doug Goerke and his team were at Lakeview Elementary School and along U.S. Route 192 and Michigan Avenue to remind drivers to slow down, put away mobile devices, and stay alert to ensure everyone’s safety. As the new school year begins, radars and lasers are being used to monitor traffic and reinforce these vital safety measures.
“We’re out here at Lakeview Elementary School, we’re making sure our children are safe. We’re here running some radar and laser. Please make sure you’re not speeding, stay off your devices, look out for children as your driving, and that’s not only this morning, that’s every single day that you’re driving in and around St. Cloud, Police Chief Doug Goerke shared during the ‘Distracted Driver Reduction’ initiative.
Officers Supported by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
The ‘Distracted Driver Reduction’ came about after St Cloud Police Department applied for a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation and won $27,000. The goal of the ‘Distracted Driver Reduction’ operation is to remind and educate drivers of the dangers of distracted driving. With the funding, eight officers were placed on this task without taking existing officers away from normal operations.
“We’re out here today doing a distracted driving reduction, trying to make sure you’re paying attention solely to the road, operating with both hands on the wheel, and not using that cell phone, or are in other ways distracted. As a part of a $27,000 grant we’ve been doing a series of these operations all over the city,” St. Cloud Public Information Officer Andrew Sullivan said.
St Cloud’s Police Department Wants You to Know
Distracted driving continues to contribute to most car crashes, based on a statistical study. The use of wireless devices, eating, and even doing makeup all contribute to distracting drivers. A safe tip: If a driver gets a text, the passenger can read it for them. The driver should be only focused on safely getting to their destination. Make sure children, pedestrians, and cyclists are safe every day in St Cloud!
