Cut travel time for your summer Sarasota County summer vacations

Traveling need not be agonizing! Arrive with time to spare using the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) 511 Traveler Information System.

Motorists traveling through and around Sarasota County, as well as other Florida destinations, can take advantage of a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) program called 511 Traveler Information System.

The program is designed to help inform travellers with information about crashes, congestion, construction and more on all of Florida's interstates, toll roads and major metropolitan roadways.

Travellers can receive this information through one of four ways:

• Call 511 (toll free) for updates in English and Spanish

• Visit FL511.com for interactive roadway maps showing traffic congestion, crashes, travel times and traffic camera views.

• Download the free Florida 511 mobile app available for Android and Apple devices.

• Follow one of the 12 statewide, regional or roadway-specific feeds on Twitter

You can customize your trip at FL511.com before leaving for the road to minimize time spent on the phone. Be sure to leave ample time to reach your destination, as unexpected traffic can often occur on a Florida Highway. To avoid using a phone while driving, call 511 before or have a passenger call.

Check out more Florida 511 features:

• Traffic information on all interstate highways, toll roads and many other metropolitan roadways.

• Commuter travel times and reports on crashes, congestion and construction.

• Public transit, airport and seaport information.

• AMBER, Silver and LEO Alerts (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts notify the public of the most serious child-abduction cases. Silver Alerts notify the public when law enforcement agencies are searching for missing adults or citizens with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Alerts notify the public when law enforcement officers are searching for an offender(s) who has seriously injured or killed a law enforcement officer.)

FL511.com provides travel information, traffic camera views and free personalized services, including customized travel routes and e-mail, text and phone call alerts.

• Voice-activated and touch-tone navigation available when calling 511.

• The 511 phone call and FL511.com website are available in English and Spanish.