SEBASTIAN — A few more tickets and a lot more complaints have occurred in Sebastian this month.
Since the new, 35 mph speed limit became law along U.S. 1 in Sebastian, there have been more traffic stops, said Sebastian Police Chief Michelle Morris, and lots of disgruntled citizens have called to complain about the 5 mph drop in the long-time 40 mph zone.
With the new speed limit in effect only since the first of the month, 79 speed-related stops were registered by police between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, an increase of about 33 percent over typical stops within a two-week period, Morris estimated.
Recognizing that drivers still are getting used to the change, Morris said, “We are trying to educate, to give as many warnings as we can. We have gotten a lot of complaints. It’s just something different and people get upset.”
Additionally, she pointed out, a 35 mph speed limit within a municipality is by no means unusual. Nearby cities that currently have a 35 mph limit through town include Ft. Pierce, Melbourne and Vero Beach, she said.
“We live in a society where everyone is in a rush. We’re so accustomed to getting everything so fast, and we do get people who just fly (through the city).”
Morris said traffic officers have the discretion to issue either a warning, a speeding ticket, a seatbelt violation ticket or a secondary violation ticket such as texting while driving, a very new Florida law.
She noted that speed-related stops tend to increase when law enforcement focuses on a particular stretch of road under special circumstances, often construction, and mentioned recent projects on CR 512 and Barber Street where short-term lower speed limits have been in effect.
Although the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office also has jurisdiction through Sebastian, no designated traffic patrols have been assigned by the Sheriff’s Office and no increase in stops by deputies has been seen, says Sgt. Thom Raulen.
After two years of effort, starting with a Chamber of Commerce resolution to request the change, the state this past summer agreed to lower the speed limit through the city. The request was made based on pedestrian and traffic safety, economic and tourism issues, as U.S. 1 is a state controlled, federally designated scenic byway which passes through Sebastian’s historic district.
