FORT MYERS, Fla. — Regarding categories including speeding and aggressive driving, Fort Myers is now ranked Forty percent for the most dangerous cities in Florida. That's according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
So, what are leaders doing to fix this?
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
Price spoke with Chief Jason Fields about problem areas in this community and what's being done to keep you safe.
Right as Price was about to get a video of traffic on Colonial Boulevard on Wednesday, a crash happened.
Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields, said Colonial Blvd is one of the most hazardous spots in the city.
"You've got some major thoroughfares like 41 or Cleveland Avenue, 82 or MLK Boulevard, you've got Colonial," says Chief Fields. "So those are some of the major thoroughfares with the most traffic. So typically, we see more crashes, and we're trying to do as much prevention as we can, being out in those areas."
In 2023, Fort Myers experienced 109 crashes attributed to impaired driving, here are some hotspots:
Cleveland Avenue: 23 incidents
Colonial Boulevard: 18 incidents
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: 11 incidents
Palm Beach Boulevard: 7 incidents
2023 (Speed & Aggressive Driving)
Total citations: 3,314
Total crashes: 5.228
Total crashes with fatalities: 17
Total crashes with injuries: 1,347
Chief Fields says those numbers are alarming and his department is working to bring them down.
That's why Chief Fields asked the city council and received approval to use up to $160,000 in grant money to help prevent impaired and aggressive driving and speeding.
"Whether it's signboards, whether it's decoy vehicles, whether we have security towers, we want people to know that we're out there, we're watching," says Chief Fields, and he finished by saying that there is a high probability you will get caught.
He says annually, the department goes after federal grants, state grants, and local grants. The two grants the department received were from the Florida Department of Transportation: One was for speed and aggressive driving, and the other was for impaired driving.
He says the department follows the data when trying to determine the problem areas.
He says data shows that Generation Z drivers are a part of the problem. It shows they're driving impaired at a higher rate than older generations.
FMPD is crafting a comprehensive strategy focused on proactive traffic law enforcement efforts. We define aggressive driving as not merely a traffic violation but a serious threat to public safety, encompassing a range of dangerous behaviors such as speeding, failure to yield, unsafe lane changes, improper passing, following too closely, and disregarding traffic control devices. Our strategy revolves around proactive high visibility enforcement (HVE), which extends beyond traditional citations and arrests to include educational outreach and community engagement.
Gen Z drivers account for 27% of alcohol-related crashes, nationwide and millennials are at 25%.
"A lot of Gen Z is typically going to be more on the impaired side, or maybe possibly distracted when it comes to using your cell phone or apps that help you navigate," says Chief Fields.
He also says it's going to take everyone.
"It's going to take the cities and counties for the proper infrastructure, and it's going to take all the drivers out there to take a proactive approach to drive safely," says Chief Fields.
