In an effort to combat the alarmingly high rates of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is ramping up patrols in specific high-risk corridors, starting this month through May 8, 2026, as part of the Florida Department of Transportation High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Program. Deputies will be on the lookout for traffic violations including speeding, improper turns, signal violations, and the use of hand-held devices while driving, as well as pedestrian and bicyclist infractions.
According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, Hillsborough County is among the top 26 counties in Florida for serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists; the enhanced patrols aim to educate the public on traffic laws and curtail the dangerous behaviors contributing to these accidents. Funded by the University of North Florida’s Institute of Police Technology and Management, with financing from the Florida Department of Transportation, the HVE program is a response to a trend officials are eager to reverse needing to address the underlying causes effectively, and through preventative measures.
Outlining the enforcement focus, deputies will be targeting specific behaviors that include drivers not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, bicyclists riding against traffic or without lights at night, and pedestrians crossing streets outside designated crosswalks. The Sheriff's Office has made it clear that warnings and citations will be issued when deemed appropriate to ensure that safety laws are observed.
For those traveling within Hillsborough County, the Sheriff's Office has shared a list of locations where the upcoming HVE operations will be conducted which includes busy thoroughfares such as W. Hillsborough Avenue, S. 50th Street, and US 41 among others the enforcement actions will stretch across vital intersections and stretches of road that history has marked as particularly perilous.
