Volusia sheriff’s beach parking pilot aims to protect children, sparks debate

Beachgoers in Volusia County may have noticed fewer parking spaces along the shore over the July 4 holiday weekend — and it was intentional. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office quietly launched a pilot program reducing on-beach parking near the county’s busiest beach parks, aiming to cut down on dangerous interactions between vehicles and beachgoers. Sheriff Mike Chitwood says the decision came after a series of troubling incidents involving children being struck by vehicles on the beach.