Stop Red Light Running Program - FHWA Safety

Veil Guy · #1 (**permalink**) 2008-02-09

Reference: Stopping Red Light Running Program

The Stop Red Light Running Program was created by the Federal Highway Administration in 1995 as a community-based safety program.

This campaign raised awareness of the dangers of red light running and helped reduce fatalities in many of the participating communities.

The program calls attention to the dangers of red light running each year in the Annual National Stop on Red Week, - a week dedicated to educating Americans about the dangers of running red lights.

Note: Notice that the driving factors of the FWHA Safety, Stop Red Light Running Program, was not the use of automated red light cameras systems!

Veil Guy

Craig · #2 (**permalink**) 2008-02-09

VG:

Their annual one-week PR blitz notwithstanding, DOT has been in bed with the automated enforcement industry for decades.

If you do some research on the DOT’s stand on photo enforcement you’ll find that it’s been the nation’s #1 tub-thumper for the technology since the mid-eighties.

Beginning, coincidentally, at the very moment that RLCs and photo radar first were imported, DOT reversed its historical philosophy of “red light-running is caused by faulty engineering, so use engineering to solve the problem” to the “hammer ‘em with tickets; don’t even look at engineering until even the dimwit public recognizes that enforcement has failed” philosophy.

They’ve backed their words with action, offering federal assistance to municipalities installing automated enforcement gear.

Craig

Veil Guy · #3 (**permalink**) 2008-02-10

Craig,

While I understand where you are coming from, I am going to keep an open mind.

Each of these agency's mission statement, while including enforcement as part of their safety initiatives, include the consideration of proper engineering and driver education.

I am certain, like any large organization, that each of these agencies have advocates (perhaps some "vocal") of automated photo enforcement methods, but going by their own-stated mission objectives (too which I am prepared to hold them to account), I don't believe it's as cut-and-dried as you may feel.

Only time will tell...

Veil Guy