Policy Review Of Red Light Running

There are more than 100,000 red light running crashes per year in the U.S., resulting in some 90,000 peopleinjured and 1,000 people killed. More than half of red light running-related fatalities are pedestrians andoccupants in other vehicles who are hit by red light runners. Texas is a leading state in red light runningfatalities. From 1992 to 1998, Texas ranked second in the number of red light running fatalities, with 11percent of the national total. Even after relating the numbers to population, Texas ranked very high--fourthplace nationwide--with a rate of 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 people in that period. The cost of red lightrunning injuries and fatalities in Texas is between 1.4 and 3.0 billion dollars per year. This report includes an assessment of factors affecting red light running, a review of red light running trendsin the U.S. and in Texas, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of strategies to deal with the problem,including engineering countermeasures, automated enforcement, and educational and awareness programs.The report also includes a series of policy recommendations that, together, should provide useful guidance totransportation officials, legislators, and law enforcement agencies. The recommendations include strategiesto define measurable goals and objectives, as well as guidelines for the implementation of engineeringcountermeasures, improved enforcement, enabling legislation, and educational and public awarenessprograms. Following similar findings in the literature, the report recommends documenting the extent of thered light running problem and quantifying the impact of red light running crashes, injuries, and fatalities,both in statistical terms and in dollar terms, as a first step in the identification of appropriate solutionstrategies. The process should then continue with the evaluation and implementation of engineeringcountermeasures followed, as needed, by the evaluation and implementation of improved enforcement. [Editor's note: The link below is to a PDF document.]

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