OKEECHOBEE – An Okeechobee woman recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Lake Okeechobee News about an incident involving a man who was apparently angered because she honked her horn when his vehicle swerved in front of hers. After the woman stopped at a gas station, she was confronted by the driver, who was screaming profanities at her. While she was frightened, she said she did not call 911 because she was not sure if she should, as the man hadn’t threatened physical violence.

Anytime you are afraid for your safety, it’s OK to call 911, explained Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen. You don't have to wait for a crime to occur.

“Getting us enroute is critical,” said the sheriff. “You don’t know how long it will take for a deputy to get there. You do not know how quickly the situation will escalate.”

He said it’s important not to engage an angry person who is yelling at you. “Call us immediately,” he said. “If you are in your car and they are following you, continue driving and head to the nearest police station or sheriff’s office. If you have a hands-free dialing, call 911 while you are driving.”

He said traffic issues often cause tempers to flare.

“We’re trying to help folks deal with their anger,” he said. “It’s out of control. Traffic by far seems to be the biggest issue.”

The sheriff said his office gets a lot of complaints about dangerous drivers on the road. He said they are in the process of enhancing traffic enforcement, but resources are limited, and Okeechobee County is a large area to cover.

One issue he hopes to address is the problem with vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. “We are in the process of working with the school board to put cameras on school bus arms,” he said. The sheriff noted the Florida Legislature recently passed a statute allowing traffic cameras on school buses.