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New Policy For Beach-Driving Leaves Public Vulnerable

By Eddie Farah

We reported earlier this month about a Jacksonville Beach police SUV that accidentally ran over a woman who was sunbathing. She was in very critical condition and is just now able to speak.

The professional musician, 41-year old Ann Marie Giffin was pulled out from under the SUV semi-conscious and bleeding from her head. Our prayers are with her for a speedy recovery.

The shocking nature of that accident has Jacksonville Beach police rethinking its policy of allowing patrol vehicles on the beach. After a review of beach-driving policy by lifeguards, police, and emergency crews up and down the beach, Mayor Fland Sharp ordered a review of beach-driving policy. As it stands now:

• All newly hired employees and contractors must receive training on beach driving and safety
• Current employees and vendors will have to receive refresher training on beach driving
• Drivers will be required to maintain distance from the public and drive at a safe speed
• Drivers will be required to walk around a vehicle in a counter-clockwise direction before turning around. Witnesses say the SUV turned around on Giffin, likely increasing her injuries. The fact that the officer was making a U-turn on an incline also makes it less likely that he would have seen Giffin.

An investigation shows Officer Lewis Keller did not see Giffin and that he was driving slowly. However a laptop computer on a stand in the vehicle may have partially blocked his view.

Yet the obvious problem of poor visibility is not addressed in the new policy guidelines. Weren't officers supposed to be trained and drive carefully before this happened?

Florida allows different cities to regulate beach driving as they see fit. Even Daytona Beach, famous for its beach driving, has some limits on how close vehicles may be allowed to come to natural areas where birds and turtles have their nests.

Options adopted elsewhere are complete bans on beach driving, limiting the hours of beach-driving, or allowing only Segues, scooters, or ATV's which would offer more visibility to an officer.

Ms. Giffin, an accomplished pianist who has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, will take a long time to heal from her spinal cord and head injury and will have extensive medical and rehabilitative expenses for which the city must realize its responsibility.

Does Jacksonville Beach really think that training officers to drive the beach more carefully is enough of an adequate change to protect the public?

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Fland Sharp had said with all of the vehicles driven by lifeguards, trash collectors, and public works vehicles, he's surprised this hasn't happened before.

Without any new substantive policy change, it is likely it will happen again. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on May 28, 2009 (boomark / email).