CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFTS) — The Clearwater Police Department has cut fatal car crashes in half this year through aggressive traffic enforcement efforts, with officers focusing on speeding, distracted driving and aggressive behavior.
Sergeant Daniel Negersmith, who leads traffic enforcement investigations for the city, said fatal crashes dropped from 16 in 2024 to eight so far in 2025. That's a 50% decrease with just two weeks remaining in the year.
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He tells me the city also saw a drop in fatal pedestrian crashes. There were 6 in 2024 and 2 this year. However, fatal bike crashes increased. The department didn't investigate any fatal bike crashes last year, but has investigated two this year.
"I attribute a lot of that to the entire agency and their efforts in increasing traffic enforcement," Negersmith said.
The department has ramped up enforcement citywide, targeting aggressive drivers who speed, weave through traffic and fail to move over for officers working roadside. Officers are also cracking down on distracted driving, which Negersmith identified as one of the most significant safety issues in the city.
"What you see is you're going to see officers doing more enforcement during this period of time," Negersmith said. "And during this period of time, the likelihood of you getting a warning is probably very limited."
The increased enforcement comes as the holiday season brings more traffic to Clearwater's roads. The department recently received a speed enforcement grant from the state of Florida through federal funding, providing additional overtime pay for officers to conduct dedicated traffic stops.
Negersmith said most drivers respond to traffic stops in one of two ways: either with anger, which he said doesn't happen often, or with surprise because they weren't paying attention to their speed due to distractions.
The sergeant urged drivers to exercise patience during the busy holiday period and avoid aggressive behaviors like tailgating, honking at slow drivers or weaving through traffic on major roads like US 19 and Gulf to Bay Boulevard.
"All it takes is one extra slip and you're going to create a crash that you're going to be very sorry for," Negersmith said.
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