Collier County Sheriff’s Office handing out more tickets to prevent crashes

Cracking down on dangerous crashes, Collier County Sheriff’s Office is handing out more tickets on the road to keep drivers in check.

People we spoke to said they are glad because they have seen one too many wild drivers behind the wheel.

“My kids look to me to protect them,” Alyssa Reidy said. “So as a parent, I would encourage others to do the same. You’re not just behind the wheel protecting yourself but others.”

Reidy said in the nine years she has been living in Naples, she has seen a big change in the number of cars on the road, and that doesn’t always make her feel safe.

CCSO has made over 350 traffic stops, 232 of them for citations. The sheriff’s office hopes this helps cut down the number of crashes in Collier County.

“Everybody’s in a hurry to go everywhere,” Reidy said. “Definitely, you have to keep your eyes on the road.”

According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, deputies have responded to over 1,200 crashes, 15 fatal in 2019 so far.

Meanwhile, there were 4,200 crashes in 2018 during the entire year.

“I tend not to rush,” John Caponetto said. “There’s no point in rushing because it only adds to the fray of trying to go faster when there’s really no point.”

The sheriff’s office said it will continue to post the statistics on its Facebook page every week. CCSO hopes that drives the message home; that drivers need to stay safe on the roads.