Sheriff’s Office Participates in High Visibility Enforcement Program to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Home > More News > Sheriff’s Office Participates in High Visibility Enforcement Program to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

NEWS RELEASE 25-045 - AUGUST 21, 2025
Picture1

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce the agency again received funding for a High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) initiative for pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Sarasota County ranks in the top 25 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. To protect the safety of vulnerable road users, the sheriff’s office will conduct HVE details to increase awareness of and compliance with traffic laws that protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Enforcement efforts will focus primarily on education; however, violations may result in warnings or citations. 

These details will begin on Friday August 29, 2025, and go through May 8, 2026, focusing on predetermined locations based on statistical crash data. These areas include:

  • Bahia Vista Street from Graber Avenue to Tara Vista Avenue
  • Tamiami Trail South from Gulf Gate Drive to Upper Elmwood Avenue
  • Midnight Pass Road from Seaside Drive to Dolphin Bay Way
  • Tamiami Trail South from Pocono Trail East to Palmetto Road East
  • Tamiami Trail South from West Seminole Drive to Shamrock Drive
  • Clark Road from Gateway Avenue to Beneva Road
  • Tamiami Trail South from Seaboard Avenue to Alligator Drive
  • Tamiami Trail South Bayshore Road to Gulf Avenue
  • Bee Ridge Road from Beneva Road to Radnor Place
  • Fruitville Road from McIntosh Rd to Richardson Way
  • Tamiami Trail South from Corporation Way to Gulf Coast Blvd
  • Tamiami Trail South from Collins Road to Roberts Road

Drivers are encouraged to always obey speed limits, never drive impaired, and watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists. Bicyclists should obey traffic laws, ride in the direction of traffic, and use lights at night. Pedestrians are asked to cross in crosswalks or at intersections, obey pedestrian signals, and make sure they are visible to drivers when walking at night.

Funding for this initiative is provided through a contract with the University of North Florida and the Institute of Police Technology and Management in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation. The sheriff’s office will receive funds for overtime hours to conduct operations and special training on Florida’s bicycle and pedestrian laws, procedures, and best practices.