State Safety Office

Public Traffic Safety Professionals Training

One of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Overarching Strategic Highway Safety Plan Strategies is Education. FDOT strives to increase training and educational opportunities for first responders and other traffic safety partners focused on reducing roadway-related fatalities and serious injuries.

Law enforcement is a critical partner in the pursuit of highway safety. Police officers, sheriff’s deputies, State law enforcement officers, and other traffic safety partners must be able to accurately investigate traffic crashes, assist safety stakeholders in identifying dangerous driving behaviors and conditions, and proactively enforce traffic laws to reduce crashes. This program area provides selected traffic safety training opportunities to traffic safety professionals based upon needs identified throughout the state.

Public Traffic Safety Professionals Training Subgrant

To address these training needs, FDOT provides funding for the instruction of traffic safety professionals in traffic crash investigation and traffic enforcement practices*. Through this training professionals are equipped with new techniques, theories, and technology that can address deficiencies, expand ongoing activities, and develop new programs specific to each jurisdiction.

FDOT strives to increase training throughout the State of Florida by:

• Increasing traffic safety professionals’ awareness of highway safety issues
• Improving traffic enforcement and detection skills
• Improving crash investigation and prosecution skills
• Improving detection, prosecution, and adjudication of impaired driving cases
• Increasing understanding of the importance of accurate data collection and analysis

For more information on FDOT grant funding please visit the FDOT State Safety Office Subgrant’s website: http://www.fdot.gov/safety/3-Grants/Grants-Home.shtm

* Tuition waivers are funded with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) subgrant funding and eligibility is mostly limited to active Florida Law Enforcement Officers. Any other personnel will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must have prior written approval from the FDOT State Safety Office. Due to specific federal funding restrictions, federal employees and state correctional officers cannot be covered under this tuition waiver.

Resources and Training Links

Florida Public Safety Institute- (FDOT funded training)

Institute of Police Technology and Management- (FDOT funded training)

For more information contact Juanita Williams at Juanita.Williams@dot.state.fl.us or (850) 414-4026

Page updated: September 21, 2020