STATE ROAD 82, Fla. — Dividers installed on State Road 82 to prevent left turns are being ignored by drivers, creating dangerous situations.
The Florida Department of Transportation installed dividers, right-turn only signs, and U-turn signs earlier this month in an effort to make the road safer, but many drivers are disregarding the new traffic pattern.
"People are bypassing it and going around other people still trying to make the left-hand turns," driver Rebecca Grams said.
At the end of 2024, Fox 4 gathered reports for all the deadly crashes the Florida Highway Patrol investigated on S.R. 82and found 13 people died in crashes on this busy road.
Grams said, "It's frustrating because obviously, that was put up for a reason."
WATCH in the Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades' report cars make illegal left turns:
When the signs were first installed, Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades spoke with Tiffany Brimlow, and they witnessed several drivers not following the new rules.
"There goes another one see...Either way, even if you have right turn everyone is gonna go left or straight across," Brimlow said.
A Fox 4 viewer gave us permission to include their dash cam video where a driver in a white SUV drives straight through the intersection instead of taking the required right turn. Because of the dividers, the car ends up entering traffic on the wrong side of the road.
FDOT is aware of the compliance issues and sent the below statement:
"We will be coordinating with Florida Highway Patrol and local law enforcement to work together to enforce the new traffic patterns at these intersections. We hope by providing significant enforcement and education to the public, we can improve driver compliance with the new traffic patterns."
In response to the ongoing problem, FDOT says it will extend the dividers another 60 feet to ensure drivers only take right turns at the intersections that have the changes.
Florida Highway Patrol noted that drivers who take illegal left turns would commit a moving infraction. The Lee County Sheriff's Office is also conducting traffic operations to enforce the change.
"When other people decided that they get to make the rules up or make that turn, it feels very unsafe," Grams said.
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