Hillsborough deputies will be out in force over the next few weeks. They're targeting aggressive and reckless drivers along both US 301 and I-4.
Those stretches of road have been a big problem and deputies are hoping to change that. Their hope is to keep drivers alert and alive!
"There's been a number of fatal wrecks that I've responded to out here," said Master Deputy Robert Bateman.
Bateman knows all too well the dangers along US 301.
"Most of the crashes out here are serious crashes due to the nature of this being a two lane road; there's not a lot of areas for those folks to get off the road," Bateman told ABC Action News.
Over the next few weeks drivers will see an increase in patrols along 301 in Hillsborough, as well as I-4. The effort is being called a corridor safety operation.
"The majority of the public out there is doing right. It's the ones that are not driving properly, the ones that are distracted. That takes them from being a safe driver to an unsafe driver," said Major Allen Hill.
Traffic signs will also be posted alerting folks to pay attention. Drivers told ABC Action News the area is a known problem.
"About two days ago it was an accident right up the street, like a t-bone," said Hector Santiago.
Consider the numbers, over the past year there have been 46 crashes on US 301, on I-4 a grand total of 1,475.
Deputies say this effort is a move to get those numbers down, hopefully saving lives in the process.
The sheriff's department will also be working with the county's department of transportation trying to determine if additional signs or road markings in the area could help with the issue as well.
