Running red lights

by Bob Gillespie
Running red lights is not that uncommon; I can't think of anything more dangerous than that, except playing Russian roulette. On second thoughts, I suppose perhaps they are equally dangerous.

Running yellow lights is not a very good idea either, ie going through a yellow when you should have stopped. What if the driver on the cross street jumped the green light? Considering that major intersections with traffic lights are about the most dangerous places on our roadways, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to run the lights.

I know that sometimes a driver doesn't stop for a red light because he just doesn't see it, but you can be quite sure that in the majority of cases a driver doesn't feel like stopping.

The article below concerns 'red light cameras', and some people are against them because they feel that they violate our constitutional rights. Myself, I don't see it that way, and quite frankly, I love to see these people caught in the act. Some of the worst collisions are caused by people running red lights, and innocent people are killed or injured.

A very good driving habit is to scan left, center, and right before going through every intersection. This, and much, much more is discussed in depth in my defensive driver education program.



‘Photo red’ — Safety key feature of new Virginia law
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

A new law in Virginia allowing the use of cameras to catch motorists who run red lights treads the gray area between making our roadways safer and protecting the constitutional rights of travelers.

The bill, which gives localities the option of installing photo-monitoring systems to enforce traffic light signals, is being hailed by many on the state and local level.

“We see it all of the time,” Bluefield, Va., Police Chief Harry Cundiff, told the Daily Telegraph. “Route 460 is probably the worst — especially there at Leatherwood Lane. If you went out to Leatherwood at 460, and if you sit there for an hour, you will probably see about five people go through this red light at 55 to 60 mph. A good driver will slow down and expect the light to turn.

When you see a yellow light that doesn’t mean to speed up.”

Cundiff said officials hope the new photo-monitoring system will help prevent future accidents.
We, too, are hopeful the possibility of motorists being caught on camera will serve as a wake-up call to those who thoughtlessly — and dangerously — run red lights.

No matter the time of day, traffic conditions or any other reason a driver may give, there is no just cause for running a red light. Too many accidents and deaths occur each year due to such careless actions.

“Intersections are dangerous places for accidents, and you can’t have a police officer at every intersection,” Cundiff said. “If people will obey the law, they don’t have to worry about getting a ticket. It (the new law) gives the police officers more of a safety net to police those intersections without having someone there. I know it is drawing some controversy, but they have pretty well proven the photo is a good identity of the vehicle by the license plate.”

We agree with Cundiff. If motorists drive legally, they should have no problems with the new photo-monitoring system.

But, we also realize the use of cameras to monitor citizens’ actions brings to mind images of a Big Brother society.

We believe a government’s intervention in the lives of its people should only occur when there is reasonable and justifiable rationale to support such action. If cameras at red lights will reduce accidents and deaths, or deter reckless driving by motorists, then such monitoring has grounds.

However, we also encourage the Commonwealth to monitor the new law to ensure the constitutional rights of Virginians continue to be protected.