“You see a red light, you stop.” It's one of the first things they teach in driver's ed. To raise awareness and for everyone's safety, August 1-7 is designated National Stop on Red week.

The National Stop on Red campaign was spearheaded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with the hopes of keeping collisions due to red-light running to a minimum.

The facts from American Traffic Solutions: (http://www.atsol.com/StopOnRedWeek.html)

• In 2007, red-light running led to 154,000 injuries and more than 900 deaths across the United States (source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - IIHS).


• 96 percent of drivers are afraid of being hit by a red-light runner, yet nearly 56 percent of Americans admit to running red lights (Old Dominion University, Virginia).


• Motorists are more likely to be injured in crashes involving red-light running than in other type of crashes (FHWA).


• Occupant injuries occur in 45 percent of red-light running crashes, compared with 30 percent of other crash types (IIHS).


• A nationwide study of fatal crashes at traffic signals estimates that 20 percent of the drivers involved failed to obey the signals (IIHS).


• 40 percent of all crashes are intersection related (FHWA).


• The number of fatal motor vehicle crashes at traffic signals is rising faster nationwide than any other type of fatal crash (FHWA).

The truth is, stopping on red is the simplest way to prevent collisions on the road. It ranks up there with drunk driving, distracted driving and not wearing safety belts as one of the leading causes for crashes, yet it is only up to the behavior of drivers to observe the rule to change that.

The National Stop on Red campaign is one of the tools available to local traffic enforcement to be able to educate motorists that needless vehicle crashes do not need to occur, as long as traffic rules are obeyed.

Along with the week's educational campaign, there will also be traffic enforcement officers on constant patrol to combat red-light running. To aid them are traffic cameras, to monitor any red-light runners. Though the word “camera” makes a motorist feel like he/she is under constant-watch, these cameras are really put into place for their own safety. Most especially with the Interstate Traffic cameras, since, as mentioned above, 40% of all crashes are intersection related. For those driver's that have received a traffic ticket for running a red light in Florida it is now mandatory to take traffic school.

This year's National Stop on Red Week theme is “Engineering Safer Intersections.” This means that, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) also plays a hand in keeping the roads safer. They are constantly collecting data and seeing a big picture of how an intersection works in order to come up with an engineering solution for stopping red-light runners.

Communities are playing their part in informing citizens of how to drive safer by education campaigns, increased enforcement and other activities. Pay attention to traffic lights, stop on red, and treat every week as if it is Stop on Red week.

Labels: red light