Contributed
The Sanford Police Department is joining local and state agencies in increasing traffic-related community education, with the goal of improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Seminole County, to include the City of Sanford, ranks in the top 25 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. To help reverse this trend, the Sanford Police Department is participating in the Florida Department of Transportation High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Program aimed at educating motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Florida’s traffic laws to improve safety on Sanford’s roads.
Through May 2026, the Sanford Police Department will have additional officers on patrol at specific corridors with a high occurrence of pedestrians and bicyclists’ crashes. Special attention will be directed towards increasing awareness of the dangerous behaviors that are contributing to serious and fatal injuries at these locations. Officers will look for drivers speeding, failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, conducting improper turns or signal violations, and using hand-held devices while driving. Officers also will watch for pedestrians who cross the street illegally or fail to yield to motorists who have right-of-way.
Bicyclists will be stopped for riding against traffic, riding at night without lights or not abiding by the same laws as motor vehicles. Officers will issue warnings and citations only when appropriate.
Funding for this program is provided through a contract with University of North Florida’s Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. The Sanford Police Department will receive funds for overtime hours for officers to conduct operations and for special training on Florida’s bicycle and pedestrian laws, procedures and best practices.
