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Editor's NotesRed Means Stop I will confess that nothing makes me see red so much as observing a driver blatantly running a red light, and it seems like Im seeing red every day. And Im not alone. According surveys released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the American Trauma Society (ATS) in 1998 and 1999, two of every three drivers say that they see other drivers run red lights almost every day, and although 98 percent of Americans agree that red-light running is dangerous, almost 56 percent of the survey respondents admit to deliberately running red lights because they are in a hurry. The numbers suggest
that although people feel its wrong to run red lights, theyre still
doing it, said Harry It is perversely ironic that so many people are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others to save a minute or two when one in three Americans claim that they personally know someone who has been injured or killed in a red-light-running crash and 96 percent are fearful that they will be hit by a red-light runner. Obeying traffic signals
ranks right up there with keeping your car in the appropriate lane as a fundamental If you think thats a bit harsh, consider the statistics provided by DOT. Drivers who run red lights are involved in 89,000 crashes a year, inflicting more than 80,000 injuries and nearly 1,000 deaths. In addition, consider the billions of dollars in medical bills, property damage, and lost productivity and wages. The 1,000 additional dead people each year are not statistics. They all had names, and most had families. Each one is a personal story, and the amount of anguish caused by those red-light runners cannot be measured. To counteract this tragic situation, ATS and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have teamed up with DaimlerChrysler to raise public awareness of this dangerous and costly problem through the Stop Red Light Running program. Since it originated with FHWAs efforts in conjunction with local communities in 1995, the program has been expanded to more than 200 communities. The use of cameras to catch
red-light runners has proven to be effective in reducing red-light running and Other groups are also aiding
in the effort to raise awareness and reduce red-light running. The Red Means
Stop Coalition — a non-profit organization formed in January 1999 by three families
in Arizona — has already Despite some local successes, overall the problem continues to grow. From 1992 to 1998, the number of fatal crashes at intersections increased by 16 percent, while all other types of fatal crashes increased by only 5 percent. You can help — ALWAYS stop on red. Bob Bryant For more information about the Stop Red Light Running program, about how
to start your own program, or about the availability of federal funding, go to the Stop Red Light Running Web site
at
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