Our South Florida personal injury attorneys report weekly about Florida automobile accidents, and the law enforcement efforts to cut down on all types of accidents, especially drunk driving and distracted driving. We have covered accident information ranging from dog bites to motorcycle accidents to bicycle accidents. Although the number of accidents may seem daunting to many, the dedicated men and women of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) spend countless hours investigating each accident and working to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
With a motto of “Providing Highway Safety and Security Through Excellence in Service, Education, and Enforcement,” the FHP is now recruiting 132 qualified applicants for its next two classes. According to the announcement, the recruits will fill the 123rd basic recruit class staring July 15, and the 124th basic recruit class starting Dec. 2. All new recruits must complete 28 weeks of training, and recruits with law enforcement certification must complete eight weeks of transitional training.
Becoming a Florida Highway Patrol officer should not be taken lightly. Florida is home to 19 million residents and welcomes close to 85 million visitors each year. According to Florida’s 2009 – 2011 Facts and Figures, this translated to the following during 2009-2010:
- The Florida Highway Patrol logged 2,399,574 combined hours of traffic investigations, preventive patrol and training.
- The Florida Highway Patrol enforces and maintains order on over 80,000 miles of Florida roadway.
- 321,777 speeding citations were issued, 140,443 seatbelt and child restraint violations were cited and 9,605 DUI arrests were made.
- FHP spent 554,000 hours investigating 217,033 crash investigations.
- 103 recruits graduated from the FHP Academy.
The FHP requires the following minimum qualifications of recruits: 19 years old, a U.S. citizen with a high school diploma (or equivalency), valid driver’s license and you must be willing to serve anywhere in Florida. Your weight must be in proportion to your height.
For more information on becoming a Florida Highway Patrol officer see the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles FAQs.
Our Treasure Coast accident attorneys thank all Florida law enforcement officers for their efforts to keep our highways safe.
About Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney
The law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, has provided professional and compassionate legal assistance to personal injury and accident victims in South Florida on the Treasure Coast since 1975. The firm’s practice areas include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, dog bite injuries, slip and fall injuries, swimming pool accidents and wrongful death claims. The firm represents clients throughout the South Florida communities of Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and Vero Beach and across the state of Florida. For more information, call (800) 299-8878 or use the firm’s online contact form.
