You're Busted: Police Set Up Routine Speed Traps

Police made their presence felt Wednesday on the Sebring Parkway when officers held laser speed monitoring devices and relayed drivers' speed to nearby units to stop speeders on the Sebring Parkway.

Drivers pushing the outer edges of the speed limit were in for that sinking feeling in their stomachs as they crested a short hill between Home Avenue and Shon-Tee Avenue and spotted Sgt. Greg Barlaug with one of the city's lasers pointing their way.

The speed limit on the Sebring Parkway inside the city limit as well as the stretch out in the county is 45 mph, except for the right-angle turn where up to 15 mph is recommended.

Barlaug told Highlands Today that police allowed drivers some leeway.

Police Cmdr. Steve Carr categorized Wednesday's enforcement as routine.

He said the department does this type of enforcement several times a week at different areas in the city, including the parkway, U.S. 27 and Lakeview Drive, at peak times or where they get complaints.

"They hit a spot for an hour and move," Carr said. "It keeps the speeding down. It does have an affect, although it's short-lived. It's a kind of routine, but it's a reminder."

There are more benefits to the enforcement than just slowing drivers down.

Carr said his officers not only stop speeders during these traffic details, but it gives them an opportunity to catch unlicensed, uninsured or unregistered motorists as well as people not wearing their seat belts or who have small children without car seats.

Then there are also the occasional drug arrests, he said.

Wednesday's enforcement detail yielded nine traffic citations by 2 p.m., including eight speeding tickets and one criminal citation for driving while the driver's license was expired more than four months, subject to arrest, jail and a court date.

The fastest recorded speeder was ticketed for 66 mph in a 45 mph zone. All the others were at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit, Carr said.