|
|
 |
|
 What is Red Light Running?
A violation occurs when a motorist
enters an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red. Motorists already in an intersection when the changes
turns to red, when waiting to turn, are not considered red light runners.
Why Do People Run Red Lights?
Red light running is a dangerous
form of aggressive driving. Based on self-reported behavioral surveys, red light running is a result of people wanting
to save time. However, several factors can lead to red light running such as impatient and inattentive drivers, improperly
timed traffic signals, lack of enforcement efforts and the attitude that no harm will come from running a red light.
What is the result of Red Light Running?
In 2003, more than 1.9 million
intersection crashes occurred throughout the nation. Of those, red light running crashes accounted for 219,000 crashes, 181,000
injuries and approximately 1,000 deaths. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, and Federal Highway Administration,
FHWA, 2004)
 On December 2, 2003 our beautiful 17 year
old daughter Sarah Elizabeth was killed by a speeding red light runner.
Sarah and her boyfriend Brian were out looking at Christmas lights. As
they were stopped and waiting to make a left turn in Brian's small Toyota pickup, a speeding 36 year old man veered
around stopped cars to run the light in his Ford 350 truck which was pulling a trailer full of wood.
The impact was directly on Sarah's door, and she was killed
instantly. Brian was airlifted to one of the trauma centers in severely critical condition, not expected to live through
the night. He spent 10 days in a coma, and after several surgeries and weeks in neuro rehab, was released. His
injuries are life-changing. However, he was able to graduate with their high school class and is now in college.
We believe that Sarah is his angel who was watching over him and that his recovery was a miracle, thanks to St. Joseph's Hospital
and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute where Brian underwent rehab.
The road was connected to one of the interstates where the speed limit
was 65 mph, and had just opened weeks earlier. There was one small sign that stated the speed limit on the road
was 50mph. The stoplight where the accident occurred was the first, and at the time of the accident, the only one
on the road which led to a part of the city with new homes.
According to newspaper reports, Phoenix police reported that on Dec. 3, one day after Sarah died, people were whizzing through the same
intersection at Pecos and 40th Street, significantly faster than the posted 50 mph limit. Six days after Sarah
died, officers wrote 11 speeding tickets in one hour along Pecos Road. Not one of the ticketed drivers was doing less than
75 mph (www.ahwatukee.com).
Road experts and accident reconstructions revealed that Brian had
followed safe driving; he had entered the intersection on the green light and was stopped waiting to turn. Additionally,
they stated that the driver who hit Sarah and Brian had been speeding on the road and had gone around already stopped cars. His
estimated braking was one-half a second, the impact was nearly 60 mph, and the light was red for approximately 2
seconds before he entered the intersection.
In Arizona, one has to be drug or alcohol impaired in order for
vehicular manslaughter charges to be filed. The driver who caused the accident was neither. He did, however
have a history of traffic violations, including speeding and failure to yield. This was an adult, a
36 year old man in a hurry, who had no respect for speed, traffic lights, or the safety of others, and then lied about
his actions. He has never attempted to contact either of our families to offer condolences or to show any
sense of remorse for the accident, our daughter's death, and Brian's injuries.
We chose to file a claim against the city and state to improve the road.
Numerous large signs were added from the freeway exit to the intersection, the timing on the stoplight at the intersection
was changed, a photo camera was installed, and additional stoplights were added on the road as it continued. We received no financial compensation from the city or state as our only desire
was to see the changes to the road made and save another family from the pain and grief we have endured.
We are grateful to the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona for responding
to the accident and ensuring that the changes to the road were made.
Whenever you are in a hurry; whenever you a frustrated by traffic, whenever
you think you can run a red light...remember Sarah. We miss her with every breath we take.
Sarah's legacy is huge: her passion for life; her love for
children and teaching, her advocacy for animal rights; her commitment to give life through organ, tissue, and research donation
and the gifts that she provided. Sarah's legacy also includes making a difference in saving lives: she is not
simply the young woman who was killed before Christmas 2003 on Pecos Road in Phoenix, Arizona; she is the young woman
who changed Pecos Road.
|
|
The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running
is dedicated to reducing the incidence of red light running in the United States and the fatalities and injuries it causes.
The Campaign has assembled a team of leaders from the fields of law enforcement, transportation engineering, healthcare and
emergency medicine, and traffic safety, to tackle this crucial safety issue. Click the logo above to go to their website.
Nationally, red light runners cause as many as 219,000
crashes each year resulting in approximately 1,000 deaths and 181,000 injuries. In 2004, more than 900 people were killed and an estimated 168,000 were injured in crashes that involved red
light running. About half of the deaths in red light running crashes
are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by the red light runners.
The Red Means Stop Coalition
is dedicated to the prevention of motorist's running red lights and to reducing intersection crashes. Click the
logo above to visit their website.
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. For information on how to plan or
participate in your community, click the logo above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What Can You Do?
Chances are, if you are a driver, your
life could be effected by a Red Light Runner.
- Visit one of the webpages above
and find out what is being done in your community. Sign up to be a volunteer.
- Help to spread awareness.
Many drivers do not realize the tragic human consequences of running a red light. Have a speaker come to your next
home owners association meeting, youth group or school. It makes a difference when a victim or a family member shares their
personal loss. Literature and antenna balls are available from many education and awareness groups.
- Stay Informed. Find
out what your state laws are, and what your state legislature is doing in regard to red light running. Encourage your governor and state legislators to declare Stop Red Light Running week and work with them
to enact stiffer penalties. To find out who your Elected Officials are you can go to www.vote-smart.org/index.htm
- Slow down and stop on red - ALWAYS!
Click the logo above to visit Sarah's
site:
|
| Adopted from Little Pretty Graphics |
To send email,
please click here.
Scripts are installed on this site to protect
the copying of graphic artists work,
with the exception of the Our Childrens' Quilts, Sarah Doll Adoptions, and Gifts for You pages which are
my works and may be freely copied and saved
only for personal non-profit use.
|
|
|
|
