Wellington & Sheriff's Office Win 4 Traffic Safety Awards

The Village of Wellington and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office District 8 received four awards Thursday at the Safety Council of Palm Beach County's 40th Annual Traffic Safety Awards Luncheon.

The awards recognized efforts tied to Operation Moto Madness, an initiative focused on e-bike and motorized scooter safety that launched in response to rising popularity of the devices throughout Wellington.

PBSO District 8's Street Crime Unit, Traffic Unit, Community Policing Unit, and Road Patrol earned an Enforcement Award. Deputy Juan Ramirez received an individual Enforcement Award. Village of Wellington Communications and PBSO Captain Nichole Addazio earned Media Public Information Awards. PBSO District 8 Captain Mike Anderson earned a Citizen on Patrol award. PBSO District 8's Matt DeJoy, Village of Wellington's Nicole Coates, and Jenoptik received recognition in the Special Traffic Safety Initiatives category.

The initiative addressed confusion among riders about vehicle classifications. Officials encourage residents to identify their e-bike's classification and understand the difference between an e-bike and an e-moto.

Wellington produced an educational video featuring Captain Addazio to help residents understand safety requirements. The video and safety tips are available on the Village of Wellington website.