POLK COUNTY, FL. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit conducted a year-long (2021) traffic safety initiative on Interstate 4 in response to aggressive driving and excessive speeding within Polk County.
“According to the Teletrac Navan study, Interstate 4 is the most dangerous highway in the United States. It is our mission to keep you safe while in Polk County along this stretch of roadway in our county by enforcing the speed limit and arresting those who drive recklessly. Please, slow down and pay attention. Your life and safety are important to us,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
During the 2021 initiative, deputies:
- Stopped 5,014 vehicles for speeding or reckless driving
- Issued 3,790 citations, of those:
- 257 drivers were issued citations for traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour, with the highest speed recorded being 155 miles per hour.
- 1,490 drivers were issued citations for traveling between 90-99 miles per hour.
The speed limit on I-4 where it runs through Polk County fluctuates between 65 MPH and 70 MPH. Per Florida Statute 318.18(3)(b), the cost of a traffic citation for speeding in excess of 50 MPH on an Interstate is $1,104 and a required court appearance.
143 people were arrested during the initiative, for the following charges:
- Knowingly Driving With No Driver’s License
- Reckless Driving
- Racing
- Possession of Narcotics
- DUI
- DUI Manslaughter
- Violation of Injunction
The traffic safety initiative is on-going and will continue into 2022.
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I-4 is a shambles. Through Polk, Osceola and Orange counties. I have been to third world countries with better highway systems. I-4 between Highway 27 and World Drive has not seen a resurfacing in over a decade! There are missing strips of pavement through the center lanes and pot holes. ( I complained to FDOT 3 years ago about this). Take a gander and the pavement from the 417/World drive on ramp to I-4, you know the painted island idiots try to merge through? And how about Westbound exit 62 criss-cross-crash? Its an on ramp too that makes a great get around for those that want to make a 20 car jump. Most just Zoom down the breakdown lane until they have to stop for someone making their own onramp through the 417 median. Has a traffic study been done here? Do they realize how ignorant their engineers are? They should all be fired because they aren’t doing or have done anything to this area in over a decade, We suffer it everyday. It takes 2 hours to get 30 miles down this piece of crap. Does anyone care? Nope. Just keep sending in your tax dollars and they will keep sitting on them. No one gives a shit. They will make sure all their their nice tidy pensions and retirement packages get paid first then maybe they will give I-4 a side glance, but I doubt it. I can’t take much more of it.