Speeding landscaper’s trucks
 

Any suggestions on how to slow down the landscaping trucks driving through The Villages? They go flying down neighborhood streets and it’s frightening! In fact it’s hard to see the license plates when they drive so fast.

Have you tried spike strips yet? If not maybe get the name of the company and call them to complain. The name on the truck might be easier to read than the license plate. If they do nothing you can always call the police with the company's name. If they get enough complaints they might investigate.

Police presence and tickets with meaningful fines and penalties could work, but won't happen.

Yes, you go about your business. If they aren't causing you harm, go on with your day and stop stressing yourself out over something that you can't control.

That is what I would expect someone who is afraid of being caught speeding to say.
And, the speeders cause the stress and raise the potential for harm.

At what speed is there no stress and no potential for harm. Golf carts and e-bikes traveling 20mph have been accused of having the potential to harm someone. Bicycles traveling 13mph have been accused of having the potential to harm someone.

Would a strictly-enforced 10mph speed limit reduce the stress and the potential for harm to an acceptable level? Remember, the most recent traffic fatality that was reported in the Villages occurred between two vehicles each traveling less than 20mph.

Maybe it would be worthwhile to worry less about the speed someone is going or whether they are pulling a trailer or have a company logo. Worry about vehicles that cannot stay in their own lane. Worry about any vehicles (construction trucks, landscaping trucks, pickup trucks, SUVs, full-size sedans, Prius, Tesla, motorcycles, golf carts, e-bikes, or bicycles) that run stop signs or pull out in front of traffic - *that* is the truly dangerous behavior.

How about quit being obtuse and trying to justify speeding. How about observing the speed limits, for heaves sake? Is it reeealy that difficult?

That sounds like advice for “learned helplessness” - as long as these vehicles use public roads, safety is everyone’s concern.

So now you wanna give them a ticket for causing you stress and raising the POTENTIAL for harm? What happened to Floridians being free citizens living in a free state? Sounds like a bunch of snowflakes

Free does not mean anarchy, we are not free to ignore traffic rules - try going the wrong way on a highway because you’re in a “free state”.

You misjudge. Call me Froggie.
You misinterpret. Don't want them ticked for causing stress. Do want them ticketed for exceeding the lawful safe speed limit.
Do you interpret free state as a state where citizens are free to break the law, bully or endanger others, etc? That is not what it means to me. To me it means free to live your life as you see fit As Long As you do not break the laws or interfere with the rights of your fellow citizens.

Some weeks back we were behind a service truck on El Camino Real. Can’t recall the name of the company but as I recall it was appliance service and repair. On the back of the truck was one of those “How Is My Driving” sign, along with a phone number to call if one wanted to enlighten the company as to how their employee was driving.

The last four numbers of the phone number had been sanded off.

True story.

I think speeding service vehicles can be a definite concern. If you think they are a danger, then call the company and report it. The name of the company will be on the vehicle somewhere.

Speeding can be subjective. If you are driving the posted speed limit and someone passes you, they are speeding. But if you are standing on the side of the road or walking and a vehicle passes, unless they are drag racing, do you really know how fast they are going? It might be faster than you want but they could still be driving the speed limit or at least the proximity...

I agree, TOTALLY out of control, see them nearly hitting people in their golf carts everyday on Belvidere... they go 45 mph when posted 30, but most horrifying is how they "swing" back and forth into the golf cart lanes. WHERE ARE THE POLICE ? Surely some of our taxes go for police ? Perhaps none available to hire, shortages everywhere, but this is really serious situation that needs attention. BTW, have you noticed how many do NOT have valid license tags, followed one that nearly hit an on coming auto (because the truck was using BOTH their lane and the golf cart lane, then seeing carts ahead, the truck went over the center line and nearly side swiped the auto. Followed them and when they finally stopped at a home, found the license tag expired 2-21 ! ! Reported it but... chances of anyone following up, probably not. Much more serious crimes for the small police force to try to control ? Reckless driving and excessive speeding, especially of service people, USED to be an occasional thing. Police USED to sit along the major arteries, often partially hidden near the polo fields. Now that there is no patrolling, it has gone to the residential streets too. Wish we had an answer, seems it always takes a tragedy for any action to be taken !

BS! If they driving at or below the legal posted speed limit then they are not "speeding". If they are driving above the posted legal speed limit, they are speeding. Whether I am there or not.

I understand most delivery trucks and appliance repair have company names, but have you noticed the number of very beat up old trucks with all kinds of lawn equipment in the back, and a trailer attached, with no license plates, no name on truck ? One nearly took out the gate arm leaving our village last Tuesday ! Leaving the village so fast they did not slow down enough for the gate to clear; it "dinged" but did not come off...truck didn't even slow down to "check" what they had hit ! Time is money ? The faster you get to the next house the more lawns you can do ? And YES, we have seen truck where the "licensed & insured" numbers are rusted or sanded off, and saw a plumbing truck in Wildwood just yesterday with one of those "How is my driving signs" then, NO phone number ! Maybe the company was getting too many calls from drivers with a cell phone who observed the speeding... or in this case, went through a red (not yellow caution) light !

For sure won't happen ! Few police, already over burdened, a LOT of crime, a LOT of drug dealing, and traffic "crime" moved to the bottom of the priority list. Some residents try to demonstrate personal responsibility by driving right at the limit, but..... the ANGER of service people, and of some residents, aimed at people who are going the limit is also over the top !

So, you bought that propaganda............

You got a better chance if hell freezes over

I have recently noticed that some landscapers are using the roads to travel on riding lawnmowers that don't even have a license. A few days ago, I followed a riding lawnmower on a county road for 4 blocks. In the past, these riding mowers were transported to the houses on a trailer.

True, unfortunately.

Yes, I noticed they were in the diamond lane although they were too wide. I just passed carefully with my cart. I think rather than raising prices for their services they are trying to cut costs in other ways.

Just how good is the mileage on a lawn tractor?

IMO these guys are the worst! Flying around, parking away from curbs while working, parking on turns on neighborhood streets, etc etc.

A couple times I told them to park closer to the curb —- with their towed trailer. Can barely pass thru. Irritating.

Thank you for your pertinent and understanding reply …

I see trucks like that regularly because I walk in my neighborhood.

Do we really want leo involved. Speed camera's everywhere like in orlando? If you point a finger remember, 4 fingers are pointing back at you

Well said!!

AND I would like to know why. It would seem to me that enforcing heavy fine collection would send a message. Probably multiple infractions in most cases. Would bring in revenue to permit hiring more traffic cops. I actually like seeing cops writing tickets - makes me slow down.

Lawn mowers are just like low-speed vehicle just like your golf cart same with small golf course Maintenance vehicle does your golf-cart require a license?

Be careful what you wish for. I have spent time in countries that practice what you seem to be proposing - I was happy to leave.

(EDIT: Of course we need laws and enforcement. But, the laws should *protect* rights, not restrict them and enforcement should be about *protecting* people, not filling quotas or raising funds. Too often the people and their elected representatives ignore this.)

I think it was NC or SC that I recently saw a video of a person being ticketed for more than 15 mph BELOW the speed limit. I wish we had more of that as well here in FL. Nothing more aggrevating than the RISK associated with too slow of a driver. It would be nice if all people just went the POSTED limits. End of problem.

BTW to newcomers turning onto 301 at DeLuna entrance... once out the gate the speed is 55 mph until you reach the turnpike where it drops to 45 mph. The posted speed on 301 at T V gate location (considering of course the traffic light) is NOT 30 mph like inside T V DeLuna gate it is 55 mph!!

At least while it lasts...

Same thing on 44 from just after 301 n 44 to Brownwood and on to Buena Vista and Morse. The speed limit is 55, NOT 35 as post in TV. (Realizing of course they say posted signs are SUGGESTED SPEEDS; however, more than 15 mph below SHOULD be cause for ticket as well.)

If people drive predictably, WATCH for and drive according to the posted speeds there would probably be less speed demons trying to get to where they need to be 20 mins ago thanks to our drivers going 25 under the speed limit.

Driving too slow can cause accidents as well. Those not comfortable with posted speeds should not be driving.

Just yesterday evening at the Drake/466A gate an unmarked police car and a Fruitland Park police car had a blue landscaping truck pulled over. I believe a ticket (s) were indeed being issued. As a former LEO, brothers, I salute you.

Yeah good luck with that. And most of these landscapers are a small outfit who don't really give a 💩

All these people speed. Landscapers, contractors, UPS, FedEx. What you need is an aggressive Traffic Officer to take care of business here. But remember, careful what you ask for. You may end up on the wrong side of the officers pen 🖊

At our first house we watched FedEx, UPS, and multiple lawn companies, speed up, cross the double yellow to avoid being behind a merging golf cart.

Yet all these companies forget they have have a job because of the residents of TV.

I will say Amazon drivers are the most curious, and seem to drive the speed limit, and are very aware of golf carts. Maybe it’s because they have so many deliveries on each street they can’t speed:eclipsee_gold_cup:

Mike Scott trucks, seem to be the most observant of the roads

Why speeding and not the many other hazardous driving situations in the villages? Left Turns from the Cart lane, Yielding right of way, Driving too Slow, stopping in a round about, and dozens of other forms of poor driving. Why is speed always singled out as the top driving offense? Many of those driving above the speed limit may be more competent in their driving skills than those driving with poor skills and slower reaction times. And while we're on this subject, how many drivers are on the roads and cart paths who are over the legal limit for Alcohol consumption?

No we want them to slow down to the posted speed limit. If ticketing can get that done than thats what needs to be done.

Can’t argue with most of that. A lot of sins besides speeding are being committed here in TV and, for the most part, going unpunished.

But speeding is A, if not THE, major contributing factor to the severity of damage to humans and to structures/vehicles, etc., in accidents. I cannot remember the exact calculation but weight X speed squared = force, or something like that. It stands to reason. A group of vehicles going down a road all at approximately the same speed leads to situations where anything that might happen is predictable. But introduce an unstable, unpredictable element to that and you can have the makings of a very bad situation. The speeder MAY indeed be the best driver in that group of vehicles but if he/she begins weaving in and out of the vehicles, that is an unstable element because the other drivers may not react predictably. My wife is a good example. She loves to go fast. If I mention it to her, her reaction is “I’m probably the best driver here”. And that is probably true, but the reality of the situation is that even if true, it means that the OTHER drivers have to be equally good so that safety is maintained, and they’re obviously not.

This, from the NFC: ‘Speeding is a major factor in traffic deaths and injuries. The role of speeding in crashes is described in terms of its effect on the driver, the vehicle, and the road. Excessive speeding reduces the amount of time the driver has to react in a dangerous situation to avoid a crash, increases vehicle stopping distance, and reduces the ability of road safety structures (such as guardrails, impact attenuators, crash cushions, median dividers, and concrete barriers) to protect vehicle occupants in a crash.

Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2020, killing 11,258, or an average of over 30 people per day. The total number of fatal motor-vehicle crashes attributable to speeding was 10,136. A crash is considered speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense or if racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was indicated as a contributing factor in the crash.”

Those speed limit signs are not merely suggestions. They’re there for a reason. Slow down and help the other drivers out there be safe too.

run out in front of them - that might slow them down - just brainstorming here