Apopka police focus on dangerous drivers to help reduce serious crashes

APOPKA, Fla. — The Apopka Police Department says it is seeing success in reducing serious crashes.

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The department has officers working overtime to increase enforcement, thanks to Florida Department of Transportation grants.

It’s a familiar scene across Central Florida: ambulances rushing in often to get someone to the hospital quickly after a serious crash.

Speeding is a common cause of crashes in Apopka.

Watch: More than 170 families who lost loved ones in crashes meet with lawmakers to demand safety changes

“When you throw in the higher speeds when there is a crash, your potential for injuries and fatalities go up,” said Sgt. Steve Harmon with the Apopka Police Department.

Harmon has seen drivers hit dangerous speeds on a handful of highways.

It’s a big area to patrol. Thanks to a $100,000 grant, officers are working overtime to provide additional enforcement for aggressive, distracting, and impaired driving.

Watch: Deadly crashes caused by distracted drivers increases in Florida, data shows

Apopka police applied for their first grant in 2018; their most recent one was six months ago.

Distracted driving is still a major issue they are trying to tackle.

When they received the grant back in October, Harmon said Apopka ranked third for distracted driving in Florida compared to similar-sized cities.

Watch: What should you do if you encounter a wrong-way driver?

The grant expires in September, and Apopka police have already applied for an additional grant to keep officers on the road enforcing and educating to bring those numbers down.

Law enforcement officers across the state are encouraging parents to set a good example for young drivers.

FDOT says they see fatal teen crashes increase dramatically between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

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