The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $90,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to promote motorcycle safety. This is the third year in a row that FCSO has been awarded grant funding by FDOT for this enforcement and education area.
The grant will primarily be used to provide funding for overtime for the FCSO Traffic Enforcement Unit to conduct enforcement and driver education focusing on motorcycle safety. These measures aim to strategically target unsafe driving behaviors from both motorcyclists and vehicle drivers who show a lack of awareness to motorcycles.
“Motorcycle crashes are a serious issue affecting the safety of our community. Just in the last few weeks, we’ve unfortunately seen multiple fatal motorcycle crashes,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “And sadly, the blame can go all around. Sometimes the crashes are the motorcyclist’s fault, and sometimes it is another driver who didn’t see the motorcycle. That’s why it is important for everyone on the road to follow traffic laws and pay attention by not driving distracted.”
The grant will also fund the purchase of additional speed measurement equipment and public awareness materials.
According to FDOT, Florida continually ranks in the top three states in the nation for motorcycle related fatalities, which can be attributed to the state’s growing population and popularity with motorcycle enthusiasts. Flagler County in particular experiences heavy motorcycle traffic during the Daytona Beach Bike Week and Biketoberfest events, due to its close proximity to Daytona Beach.
“Many motorcyclists live in and travel to our county, especially during popular events,” Sheriff Staly added. “I believe in bringing as much grant money to Flagler County to make our community safer. This grant is key to assisting our mission to keep all drivers and motorcyclists on our roadways safe.”
Since 2020, 413 motorcycle crashes have occurred on Flagler County roadways. Of these crashes, 37 have resulted in fatalities.
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