Deputies urge increased awareness at Collier Blvd. and US 41 intersection

South Naples motorists are extra cautious at the intersection of Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41, which is notorious for red light runners and accidents.

“We have so many crashes, crashes with injuries, property damage, fatalities from people running red lights,” said Cpl. Scott Harle of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Harle highlighted the intersection as a frequent site for crashes, often related to running red lights.

“It’s one of our main reasons for crashes. You see a crash, and a lot of times, it is intersection-related with a red light,” said Harle.

Motorcyclists, particularly, need to prioritize safety.

Cpl. JJ Snyder, who works with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, teaches motorcycle safety. His word of advice: bikers should pause when a red light turns green.

“When the light turns yellow, people think that’s an indicator to speed up, to beat the light out. Well, it’s not,” said Snyder. “It’s an indicator to start slowing down because the light is going to turn red.”

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 80% of the approximately 6,200 crashes in the county last year.

Collier County Sgt. Anna Horowitz explained that the sheriff’s office is working to reduce these numbers by installing blue lights at busy intersections.

“These blue lights will assist us as law enforcement to look for red light runners,” said Horowitz. “Hopefully, that will decrease our numbers in running red lights, which will now reflect in decreasing our number of crashes and also fatalities as well.”

The goal is to make dangerous driving, like speeding through red lights, a thing of the past.