led light: Bend police get new red-light tool
Posted: 12:09 PM, Jul. 25, 2006
By KTVZ.com news sources
In its efforts to keep the roads safe, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported this week it has installed tools on two traffic signals in Bend to help police officers safely stop motorists who run red lights.
The "Enforcer" has been installed at the intersections of Greenwood Avenue and Third Street, and Reed Market Road and Third Street.
The tool is a system on the back of an existing signal. When a traffic light turns red, a white LED light is illuminated on the rear side of the signal. This allows a police officer to position on the far side of an intersection and still be able to see when the light turns red. The officer can stop offenders without having to follow vehicles through the intersection, which is safer for the officer and the traveling public.
"Red light running is a form of aggressive driving," said Debbie Williams, ODOT Traffic Safety Coordinator. "The average time saved by running a red light is 25 seconds and is not worth the potential cost in human lives."
ODOT also awarded a $2,200 overtime enforcement grant to the Bend Police Department to use the tool.
Nationwide, motorists running red lights cost the public an estimated $7 billion per year in lost wages, medical bills and damages. From 2000 through 2004, more than 160 crashes reported in Bend involved a driver disregarding a traffic signal, according to information reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles. This resulted in one fatality and 120 people injured.
"Driving safely is a shared responsibility," said Williams. "The choices you make can mean a lifetime of loss, pain and suffering for yourself or someone else's family."
Posted: 12:09 PM, Jul. 25, 2006
By KTVZ.com news sources
In its efforts to keep the roads safe, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported this week it has installed tools on two traffic signals in Bend to help police officers safely stop motorists who run red lights.
The "Enforcer" has been installed at the intersections of Greenwood Avenue and Third Street, and Reed Market Road and Third Street.
The tool is a system on the back of an existing signal. When a traffic light turns red, a white LED light is illuminated on the rear side of the signal. This allows a police officer to position on the far side of an intersection and still be able to see when the light turns red. The officer can stop offenders without having to follow vehicles through the intersection, which is safer for the officer and the traveling public.
"Red light running is a form of aggressive driving," said Debbie Williams, ODOT Traffic Safety Coordinator. "The average time saved by running a red light is 25 seconds and is not worth the potential cost in human lives."
ODOT also awarded a $2,200 overtime enforcement grant to the Bend Police Department to use the tool.
Nationwide, motorists running red lights cost the public an estimated $7 billion per year in lost wages, medical bills and damages. From 2000 through 2004, more than 160 crashes reported in Bend involved a driver disregarding a traffic signal, according to information reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles. This resulted in one fatality and 120 people injured.
"Driving safely is a shared responsibility," said Williams. "The choices you make can mean a lifetime of loss, pain and suffering for yourself or someone else's family."
