National Stop on Red Week
August 5th-11th
BINGHAMTON, NY - Red light running is a dangerous and costly traffic violation in our country. According to the 2005 Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras red light running is estimated to produce more than 100,000 crashes and approximately 1,000 deaths per year in the United States. Red light running is a serious problem with devastating consequences. Drivers who fail to stop at red lights increase their risk of hitting another vehicle or pedestrian causing major intersection congestion. Red light running alone not only costs Americans billions of dollars every year but also costs us lives.
Out of 1,363 crashes that occurred in 2005 in Broome County, 62 of these crashes resulted from drivers disregarding traffic control. These 62 crashes resulted in 58 personal injuries and 4 property damages. This same problem exists throughout the state. In 2005 in New York State, 138,004 crashes occurred with approximately 7,281 crashes resulting from traffic control signal disregard. This resulted in 79 fatalities, 7,023 injuries and 179 property damages (www.safeny.com).
The National Stop on Red Week campaign has been established to educate drivers about the dangers of red light running, to re-establish respect for traffic signals, to enhance the safety of our nation's drivers and pedestrians, as well as to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from this problem. However, education is not the sole solution. In order to fully combat this problem enforcement and engineering efforts, such as issuing citations and red light cameras, are required.
The Broome County Traffic Safety Board is encouraging enforcement agencies to take an active part in this initiative by issuing citations for running a red light. “Running a red light is an act of inattention or aggression. Both are avoidable and inexcusable,” says Christine Muss, Traffic Safety Coordinator for the Broome County Health Department. “People need to stop and think about how they would feel if someone they care about was severely injured or killed because someone acted irresponsible when behind the wheel of a car.”
The Broome County Traffic Safety Board reminds motorists to remember these important rules when approaching intersections where there are traffic lights:
- Yellow lights are an indicator to slow down and prepare to stop.
- Come to a complete stop before turning on red.
- Scan intersections and approach with caution, even if the light is green.
- Yield to pedestrians. They have the right of way.
Safety is a shared responsibility. The Federal Highway Administration is responsible for building and maintaining safe roads but drivers must make smart decisions and be responsible on the road. For more information on National Stop on Red Week contact Christine Muss, Traffic Safety Coordinator, at 607.778.2807.
CONTACT:
Carrie Abbott, Supervising Public Health Educator
Broome County Health Department: 607.778.2884
email: cabbott@co.broome.ny.us
Broome County Health Department: 607.778.2807
email: cmuss@co.broome.ny.us
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Published Date: 08-06-2007
