As with most holiday weekends in the sunshine state, let alone the Tampa Bay area, there will be a heightened police presence on the roads.

Memorial Day Road Safety in Florida

Also, did you know that a tweak to Florida road laws has allowed municipalities to reduce the amount of time a traffic signal remains yellow? It’s true.

According to a report from Tampa Bay’s 10 News WTSP, “the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) quietly changed the state’s policy on yellow intervals in 2011, reducing the minimum below federal recommendations. The rule change was followed by engineers, both from FDOT and local municipalities, collaborating to shorten the length of yellow lights at key intersections, specifically those with red light cameras (RLCs).”

This becomes important because a study posted by http://www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/effect-yellow-timing (conducted by researchers at Texas A&M) shows that an increased interval time for a yellow traffic signal actually shows improvement in the number of traffic violations and avoidance of accidents.

That being said, it’s not the fault of lawmakers if you miss a signal. It’s imperative to pay attention while behind the wheel, especially where holiday traffic is concerned.

So if you:

Are considering drinking this weekend, have a designated driver or call a cab. If you have multiple people in your car, don’t get absorbed in conversation … pay attention to your surroundings.

Have a cell phone like most of us do, put it away so you are not tempted to text and drive. And if you feel like you can’t stop yourself from texting while driving, we have a few Apps for that.

Are concerned about the red light cameras, check your GPS unit and see if it detects red light cameras. Many GPS units produced over the past few years have the technology to sense a red light camera. Also, pay attention to signs around traffic lights. They sometimes will give you a cue that there is a red light camera ahead, delayed signal, etc…

Remember, during the holidays it’s common to have non-local drivers not used to the area who are not paying as close attention to their driving. These are the drivers you especially need to keep an eye out. They can weave in and out of lanes, run lights, drive too slow or too fast. All because they are either fiddling with a phone GPS, a paper map, a GPS unit on the dash board or are distracted arguing with the navigator in the neighboring seat, or maybe arguing with someone over their cell phone because they are lost. Point being you need to be as on point on the road as possible especially during Memorial Day Weekend in Florida.

Have a safe weekend out there. And to our military families and service members, thank you for your sacrifice and service.