The following information, from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT’s 511 Traveler Information System) is important to share with Hatters planning to travel during Stetson’s Spring Break, March 3-7, 2014.

ARRIVE EARLY TO YOUR SPRING BREAK DESTINATION WITH 511 – Know Before You Go.  

As millions of students pack up for spring break trips traveling home or to their favorite vacation spot, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wants everyone to stay safe on the roads. FDOT reminds students to use its 511 Traveler Information System to get up-to-date traffic reports before hitting the road.

FDOT’s 511 system is updated with information on Florida’s interstates, toll roads and other major metropolitan roadways, allowing students to hear updates on crashes, congestion, construction and more.

There are four convenient ways for students to receive traffic updates:

• Call 511 toll free for updates in English and Spanish.
• Visit FL511.com, with interactive roadway maps showing traffic congestion, travel times and crashes.
• Download the free Florida 511 app on iTunes or Google Play.
• Follow one of the 12 statewide, regional or roadway-specific feeds on Twitter. 

For students taking to the air or sea during Spring Break, Florida 511 provides free phone transfers to Florida’s airports and seaports. And if heading out of state, students can transfer to neighboring 511 systems in Georgia and Louisiana to find out if traffic backups lie ahead.

FDOT reminds all students to check 511 before hitting the road, have a passenger check 511 while driving or pull over to avoid distracted driving.

Traffic Updates on Twitter

For traffic updates via Twitter, FDOT encourages travelers to follow the Florida 511 Twitter feeds: 

• FL511 Statewide
• FL511 Northeast
• FL511 Panhandle
• FL511 Central Florida
• FL511 Tampa Bay
• FL511 Southeast
• FL511 Southwest
• FL511 I-4
• FL511 I-10
• FL511 I-75
• FL511 I-95
• FL511 Florida’s Turnpike