Marion County addresses traffic deaths with Safety Matters video series
By Joe Byrnes
January 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST
A series of 10 videos coming out on YouTube in the next six months aim to educate Marion County drivers on the need for safety.
The Safety Matters Series follows a year in which, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, 108 people died on the county's roadways.
The Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization and agencies throughout the county are teaming up to make -- and to then publicize -- the videos.
TPO director Rob Balmes said Marion County has seen an increase in traffic deaths over the past five years.
"Around 95 to 100 people unfortunately are losing their lives every year," he said. "We see this as an important time to amplify a message of safety in our community because of this growing trend of fatalities."
The first video was released this week. In it, Lindsee Kirby tells the story of her lengthy recovery after her car was T-boned by a distracted driver in 2021.
Don't be in such a rush, she says in the video. "Where do you have to go that has you weaving in and out of traffic or has you running stop signs or red lights or whatever it may be? Is it really worth it? ... And it's not."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohEa0RkBlag
Balmes said other videos will address bicycle and pedestrian safety, school safety, aggressive driving, seatbelts, stopping for red lights, the move-over law that protects first-responders, and motorcycle safety.
He said the videos are being produced by county staff but involve the collaboration of multiple local and state agencies. They're the result of discussions by the 12-member TPO board, which includes elected officials from the County Commission and the cities of Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon.
Balmes said the TPO has a safety plan titled Commitment to Zero, that is, to zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Road design is key -- but so is the human element, he said. This education effort addresses that.
The Safety Matters Series follows a year in which, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, 108 people died on the county's roadways.
The Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization and agencies throughout the county are teaming up to make -- and to then publicize -- the videos.
TPO director Rob Balmes said Marion County has seen an increase in traffic deaths over the past five years.
"Around 95 to 100 people unfortunately are losing their lives every year," he said. "We see this as an important time to amplify a message of safety in our community because of this growing trend of fatalities."
The first video was released this week. In it, Lindsee Kirby tells the story of her lengthy recovery after her car was T-boned by a distracted driver in 2021.
Don't be in such a rush, she says in the video. "Where do you have to go that has you weaving in and out of traffic or has you running stop signs or red lights or whatever it may be? Is it really worth it? ... And it's not."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohEa0RkBlag
Balmes said other videos will address bicycle and pedestrian safety, school safety, aggressive driving, seatbelts, stopping for red lights, the move-over law that protects first-responders, and motorcycle safety.
He said the videos are being produced by county staff but involve the collaboration of multiple local and state agencies. They're the result of discussions by the 12-member TPO board, which includes elected officials from the County Commission and the cities of Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon.
Balmes said the TPO has a safety plan titled Commitment to Zero, that is, to zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Road design is key -- but so is the human element, he said. This education effort addresses that.