City of Springfield, MO - Respect Red Lights

	Every 11.5 minutes... is how often Springfield has seen red-light runners at a city intersection. Running red lights and other traffic controls like stop and yield signs is one of the most frequent types of urban crash. Motorists are more likely to be injured in crashes involving red-light running than in other types of crashes.
Crashes that occur at intersections, such as red-light crashes, more frequently result in injuries than other types of crashes. Occupant injuries occur in 45 percent of intersection crashes compared with 30 percent for non-intersection crashes.

Approach: 3 E's | 2003 Statistics | Top Intersections for Accidents

Warning Sign Locations (313k) | Accident History Chart 2002 (21k)

A Nationwide Problem
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute says that drivers who run red lights are responsible for an estimated 260,000 crashes each year; more than 950 of these are fatal with nearly 200,000 persons injured. Red-light running is a big part of the problem.

For addtional information go to: http://www.hwysafety.org/safety_facts/qanda/rlc.htm#2

What is a red-light violation?
A red-light running violation occurs when a motorist enters an intersection after the signal light has turned red. Motorists who have entered on a green or a yellow light, waiting to complete a left turn for example, aren't red light runners.

image of intersection The Three “E’s”
Springfield is taking a three-pronged approach to addressing the red-light running problem — enforcement, education and engineering.

Enforcement - City Council recently increased the minimum fine for a red-light violation to $100. Police officers are also informed about which intersections have the most red-light runners.
Education - “Respect Red” is designed to make Springfield residents aware of the frequency and consequences of running red traffic lights as well as alert them to the increased $100 minimum fine for running a red light.
Engineering - Two City intersections known to have frequent red-light running violations have had red-light indicators installed on a trial basis. These indicators inform officers who are “downstream” of traffic to see when the light turns red and allows them to ticket violators without pursuit through a busy intersection. More installations are planned.
At City Council’s request, City staff is also researching the use of cameras that photograph red-light runners. Tickets would be sent to violators through the mail. This program has been successful in other communities. (top)

2002 Statistics

There are 232 traffic signals within the City of Springfield, including those maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation.
122 of the top 132 High Accident Locations* (intersections with 10 or more accidents during the year) in 2003 are signalized intersections.
From 1997 through 2003, there were 20,492 accidents at signalized intersections of which 2,787, or 13 percent, involved “red light running.”
At the intersection of Battlefield Road and Campbell Avenue, the Traffic Engineering Division recorded 48 motorists running the red light during a 9-hour period from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 24, 2000.
There were 2,622 crashes at signalized intersections in 2003, of which 439 involved “red light runners.” One crash resulted in a fatality and another 201crashes resulted in injuries.
* The HAL list is developed by the Springfield Traffic Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works, which ranks City intersections according to the frequency of traffic crashes, the severity of the crash and the intersection’s traffic volume. (top)

Top 15 Signalized Intersections with High Incidents of Right-Angle Crashes in 2003

Cedarbrook Ave at Chestnut Expy-- 22
Campbell Ave at JRF WB Ramp -- 18
Battlefield Rd at Ingram Mill Rd-- 17
Chestnut Expy at Patterson Ave -- 17
Grand St at Kimbrough Ave-- 16
National Ave at Sunset St-- 15
Battlefield Rd at KMart/Mall Entrance-- 14
Battlefield Rd at Delaware Ave-- 14
Campbell Ave at Walnut Lawn St-- 14
Kansas Expy at I-44 WB Ramp-- 14
Kansas Expy at Mount Vernon St-- 13
Kansas Expy at Republic St -- 13
Cherry St at National Ave-- 12
Atlantic St Kansas Expy-- 11
Benton Ave & Central St-- 11

Note: Right-angle crashes are frequently a result of red-light running. There were 167 injuries as a result of the 221 right-angle crashes reported at these 15 locations. (top)

"Respect Red" was created from a partnership of the Traffic Safety Alliance, Springfield Police Department, Public Works Traffic Department, and Springfield Department of Public Information. For more information about the “Respect Red” campaign or red-light running, contact the Department of Public Information at 864-1010.

Every 11.5 minutes...