Red light running is becoming very common on a daily basis. Whether it is from being late to work or school, or just being stuck in the dilemma zone when the light is yellow, the results could be severe. The National Coalition for Safer Roads ranked all the cities in the United States based on the number of fatalities between 2004 and 2013. Unfortunately Phoenix was ranked at number two with 127 deaths and Tucson at number nine with 61 deaths. Arizona Department of Transportation reported in 2014 that 2653 crashed resulted in injuries because of drivers that failed to stop at a red light or stop sign. Pima County removed all the enforcement cameras within county in early 2014 because the county believed that the cameras served their purpose and drivers are now aware that they should not break the law. The county decided that having deputy patrol will be more effective but according to the number of fatalities and injuries in Tucson, it does not seem to be an effective approach. However the city of Tucson has 30 locations with red light enforcement, 13 of which are also for speed enforcement and for some reason drivers still manage to run the red light causing tremendous damage. In early 2015, all the red light camera funding have been rejected in the City of Phoenix. Arizona Senate committee has been working on banning red light cameras and electronic tickets. If a state has 2 cities that are ranked in the top 10 red light running fatalities, why limit or remove the enforcement? Shouldn't enforcement be emphasized?
Article: http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29747871/tucson-9-for-red-light-runners
You bring up an excellent point. I work with the Drachman Institute and we're collecting data primarily on signal ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. I personally do not feel safe crossing the streets in Tucson (and it's part of my job!). I can only imagine what it's like for someone with a (dis)ability such as crossing the street on a wheel chair of some sort. I strongly believe there should be some type of enforcement but the right measures should be studied prior to making any rash decisions that have no guarantee or at least no degree of certainty.
ReplyDeleteBeside any enforcement or policies about this situation, I believe strengthen the traffic education is also important.
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