October 27, 2025 (Orlando, FL) — The Central Florida Expressway Authority’s (CFX) Drive Smart Florida campaign has received a prestigious safety award for its innovative approach to engaging with Central Florida drivers to reduce preventable crashes on our region’s roadways. The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) honored CFX as part of its 2025 Toll Excellence Awards in the safety category. The worldwide organization said in its award citation: “By fostering empathy, engagement, and lasting behavior change, CFX’s Drive Smart Florida has set a new standard for safety communications.”
“When I first suggested creating an effort to promote safe driving for those using our system, I never imagined the impact it would have or how it would evolve into a campaign that drives real change in our community,” said Andria Herr, CFX Governing Board Treasurer and Seminole County Commissioner. “Our Drive Smart Florida campaign reinforces our commitment to safety and courtesy for the millions of drivers who visit our region and call Central Florida home.” The Drive Smart Florida campaign was developed by CFX and Day Communications to raise awareness of the top causes of preventable crashes and help drivers protect themselves and others on the roads. The campaign leverages a partnership with Florida Highway Patrol, local media, a strong social media presence and interactive website (drivesmartflorida.org) to reduce the three most common causes of crashes – tailgating, merging and aggressive driving.
“The Drive Smart Florida campaign reinforces our commitment to implementing innovative safety efforts for our region,” said Michelle Maikisch, Executive Director of CFX. “We are a growing region with tens of millions of residents and visitors each year, and this campaign helps ensure everyone behind the wheel understands the basics to keep all road users safe. We are incredibly honored to be recognized by IBTTA, and we hope this campaign serves as a model that others can replicate in communities across the globe.”
Drive Smart Florida emphasizes three core positive counter behaviors:
- Follow the three second rule: Drivers are encouraged to leave a count of at least three seconds between their vehicle and one in front to allow time to brake to avoid a crash from tailgating.
- Merge like a master: This behavior stresses the importance of using both lanes to the merge point when a lane is blocked and allowing drivers to take turns merging.
- CARma your commute: The program offers tips on how to stay calm and create a “drama-free zone” in your car during rush hour or in stressful driving scenarios.
As part of Drive Smart Florida, CFX created mini campaigns to target specific situations drivers face, such as protocols for work zone safety and steps to take if you get into a crash on the roadway.
Link to media kit: https://bit.ly/cfx-ibtta-mediakit
About the Central Florida Expressway Authority
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is an independent agency of the State of Florida that operates and maintains a regional network of expressways for 3.5 million residents of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties and more than 80 million annual visitors to Central Florida. CFX’s 125-centerline mile, user-funded system includes 73 interchanges, 14 mainline toll plazas, 5 mainline gantries, 76 ramp toll facilities (includes six ramp gantries) and 365 bridges. On average, more than 1.6 million toll transactions are recorded daily, all of them electronically. CFX operates E-PASS, the first electronic toll collection system in Florida, with more than one million E-PASS accounts. For more information, visit CFXway.com.
About the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association
The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (www.ibtta.org/) is a worldwide association for toll facility owners, operators and the businesses that support them. It previously awarded CFX a Toll Excellence Award for Social Responsibility in 2019 for the agency’s part in protecting wildlife and other natural resources during the Wekiva Parkway project.