Daytona Beach, FL - The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office gets a bit of financial help from the state in order to keep the roads safer, especially during the county's twice-a-year motorcycle rallies.
A $30,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation will help VCSO fund a year-long motorcycle safety effort with at least 70 separate operations planned.
The law enforcement agency makes this announcement a day before an estimated 125,000 bikers roll into the Daytona Beach area for the 26th annual edition of Biketoberfest, which runs from Thursday (October 18th) through Sunday (October 21st).
VCSO spokesperson Andrew Gant says the primary goal is to reduce the number of motorcycle-related wrecks and fatalities between now and the end of September 2019.
"The area sees an increase in motorcycle crashes during each of these special events," Gant added. In Volusia County, there were 586 motorcycle-involved crashes with injuries and 33 with fatalities in 2017.
March is when an estimated 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts ride in for Bike Week, which will celebrate its 79th year in 2019, running from the 8th through the 17th.
The FDOT grant will cover overtime for deputies assigned to what VCSO calls "enhanced safety operations" during Biketoberfest and Bike Week. Similar operations will take place all year long between those events, per Gant.
"Some of the areas of focus will be careless driving, speeding and red-light violations," Gant noted.
Volusia ranks among Florida's Top 10 counties for traffic accidents resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists, according to the state Department of Transportation.
VCSO won't be the only law enforcement agency stepping up its road presence during Biketoberfest. The police departments of Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach have also announced special "high-visibility" patrols in their cities starting this week, with a special focus on main roads.
In Daytona Beach - where many of the events will take place - the city's police department expects heavy crowds in and around downtown and Midtown. Click here for how this might affect traffic patterns.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office also plans to increase patrols countywide during this year's Biketoberfest, focusing in particular on stopping drunk drivers and on roads which are often filled with bikers, namely State Road A1A, U.S. 1 and State Road 100.
"Residents and visitors should be aware of increased traffic on our roads, especially with an increase in motorcyclists," said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. "Watch for bikers before changing lanes or driving through intersections. Looking twice could save a life. As always, drive sober and free from distractions."
In Flagler Beach, police plan to focus on making sure motorcyclists have and use proper equipment on top of its normal enforcement activities during Biketoberfest, including eye gear, functioning headlights and not covering ears with any kind of headset or listening device while riding with the exception of hearing aids.
