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If lights don't stop you, police might
By CHRIS TISCH and RYAN MALDONADO Have you been thinking that it might be time to stop that terrible habit of running red lights? That it might be better to tap the brakes rather than slam the gas when the light flicks yellow or red? Maybe you've heard that motorists running red lights killed 114 people in Florida last year? Or that they injured another 14,000? Or that wrecks caused by red light runners racked up $346-million in medical and other bills? Whatever the case, this week is a good time to stop the habit. It's Stop Red Light Running Week in Florida, and police in Pinellas County will be crawling the roads and highways looking for bad drivers. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office will host the red-light enforcement effort, which will draw up to 80 officers from 12 county agencies, including the St. Petersburg, Gulfport, Largo and Clearwater police departments. Officers from each agency will meet at 10:30 a.m. today to group up in multijurisdictional enforcement teams consisting of 10 to 15 members. And they will be using clever tactics to keep an eye on dangerous intersections. Some will be undercover, in unmarked pickup trucks or on motorcycles. "We're pulling all the stops on this to really make an impact and get people to stop red light running this year," said Deputy Jim Bordner, a crash reconstructionist for the Sheriff's Office. Lt. Tom Carey, of the St. Petersburg Police traffic section said the department will be working two shifts -- one today with six officers and one Friday with 12 officers -- as well as issuing a department-wide notice to cut down on violators. St. Petersburg Police will also zero in on those intersections in the city where the most accidents occur: 54th Avenue S and 31st Street; 22nd Avenue N and Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) Street; and 38th Avenue N and 49th Street. Gulfport Police will concentrate on two intersections today -- Gulfport Boulevard and 49th Street and Gulfport and 58th Street. The Largo Police Department will be working on top of the countywide effort by focusing on city intersections where crashes are most frequent. Police will hold details from 3-7 p.m. at the following intersections: Belcher Road and East Bay Drive on Thursday; U.S. 19 and East Bay Drive on Friday. Largo police say they are purposely telling residents about the operations. The department is challenging residents to drive safely. Their goal isn't to write tickets as much as it is to get people to drive safely, spokesman Mac McMullen said. "We're not going to be overtly sneaky about this," he said. Carey of the St. Petersburg police echoed McMullen's words. He said his officers will use their own discretion when it comes to issuing tickets and giving out warnings. "We're not out there trying to write as many tickets as we can," Carey said. "Our goal is to reduce these traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities." Still, police said people who are caught running red lights should be prepared to be ticketed. Drivers cited will face an $80 fine and three points on their license. A driver has officially run a red light if the front tires of the car do not get past the stop bar while the light is still yellow. Largo Chief Lester Aradi has stepped up traffic enforcement recently, but has told his officers to issue warnings when warranted. Though officers ticketed only cars going 15 mph over the speed limit during an operation a few weeks ago, he said officers will be more strict in other details. This will be the fourth year law enforcement in Pinellas County has swarmed the roads on Stop Red Light Running Week. Last year, local officers issued 385 red-light running tickets over three days. They also issued 47 seat belt violations. "Fundamentally, the responsibility to drive lawfully falls to the person behind the wheel," said McMullen, the Largo police spokesman. "People get in a hurry. People don't observe the yellow light. They think they can press the envelope." Police say it makes a difference. Red light running, after all, is the leading cause of crashes in urban areas, accounting for 22 percent of all wrecks. Red light runners forced more than 9,300 crashes in Florida last year. Carey said he spent three years as a traffic homicide officer, where he learned about some of the tougher consequences of running a red light. "Once a crash happens and someone is killed, the Police Department has to notify the family," Carey said. "And I'll tell you, it's the toughest job to go to somebody's house to tell the family someone close to them has died. "We'll hear about the tickets, quotas, speed traps -- but that's the last thing on my mind."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
