Ahead of the expected mass rideouts featuring bicyclists and ATV riders that have become a tradition of the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in South Florida, law enforcement is raising awareness for riders to take to the streets safely.
Miami-Dade Police and the Florida Highway Patrol emphasized "zero tolerance" in a presentation Friday urging both riders and those in vehicles to safely use roadways as the "Wheels Up, Guns Down" event is scheduled to take place once again.
Troopers said illegally operating motorcycles, dirtbikes and ATVs on roadways and highways is hazardous and will not be tolerated.
Law enforcement said preventing delays, injuries and property damage will be the goal and troopers will be out in full force to increase public safety. There will also be patrols in the sky, monitoring traffic groups.
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A flyer on social media said the event will take place Saturday and Sunday, but in years past those on ATVs and other off-highway vehicles have taken to the streets on the Monday that is celebrated as MLK Day.
In 2022, aerial footage showed a large group of bicyclists riding onto I-95 northbound in Miami-Dade as cars passed by, before exiting the highway.
The event is meant to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy and his message of nonviolence, but over the years has turned into a celebration of lawlessness as hundreds of riders on dirt bikes and ATVs from across the country descend upon South Florida and swarm the roadways.
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Miami-Dade Police said they made two felony arrests last year, issued one traffic ticket and seized one vehicle. Pembroke Pines Police said they arrested two adults who are facing felony charges. The two were operating a motorcycle and both vehicles were impounded as a result of arrests, police said.
