ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
The most recent question he addressed was, “What’s the deal with wait times after a crash?”
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“Response times vary from crash to crash, but there is a reason behind all of this,” Trooper Steve said. “A few things come into play when it comes to determining how fast a law enforcement officer will get to your scene.”
One of the biggest factors is where the crash occurs.
“If your crash occurs inside a municipality, like the city of Winter Park or Orlando, then that’s the agency that’s going to respond to your scene,” he said. “Usually within a city, there are multiple units that can respond to a crash scene.”
When it comes to unincorporated portions of a county, meaning anywhere outside the city limits, the responsibility falls on the Florida Highway Patrol.
“Putting things into perspective, there are just under 2,000 troopers for the entire state of Florida,” Trooper Steve said. “If you break that down to one county, there could be only a just a few troopers on duty.”
In addition, Central Florida is the busiest portion of the state, he added.
“Believe me when I say troopers hate it also,” Trooper Steve said. “So, patience is key. Calls are prioritized based off reported injuries and roadblocks on the roadway.”
Just because your crash may have happened first doesn’t mean it will be attended to first.
“Also, here in Central Florida, not all sheriff’s officers will work or investigate a crash,” Trooper Steve said. “Although they can work a crash, most agencies have a policy leaving that type of call to the highway patrol. A lot of people will read this and simply say, ‘Well why not hire more troopers or why doesn’t the sheriff’s office assist them?’ That is another conversation to have with someone with a higher paygrade than mine.”