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ATS invites you to visit our Twitter page to see a video compilation of the worst red-light runners in Arizona in 2016. This dangerous behavior is the topic Gov. Doug Ducey addresses in his special proclamation declaring March to be Red-Light-Running Awareness Month. In the proclamation, the governor calls on all Arizonans to “do all they can to stop red-light running on our roadways.” This is especially important in Arizona, which ranks fourth in the nation for red-light running fatalities. Get involved today by choosing to slow down on yellow and stop on red. For more information on driving safely at intersections, visit visit Red Means Stop Traffic Safety Alliance and National Coalition for Safer Roads.

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Marysville Outfits 15 School Buses with Stop-Arm Safety Cameras
KOMONews.com (Washington), March 15, 2017

Cameras began rolling on 15 Marysville School District buses Wednesday in an attempt to catch reckless drivers who illegally pass the stopped bus when the stop paddle is out. The technology comes from American Traffic Solutions, and enables each bus to record different angles to capture a passing violation in its entirety. See related articles at The Herald and North County Outlook.  (The Herald image by Ian Terry)

Safety Improves at Montgomery’s Red-Light Camera Intersections
WSFA-TV NBC 12 (Alabama), March 14, 2017

New data indicates red-light traffic cameras have decreased traffic citations and the number of collisions at intersections in Montgomery, according to Lt. Stanley Rucker of the police department. (WSFA-TV NBC 12 image)


Legislative Bill Opens Door to Red-Light Safety Cameras
WNCN-TV CBS 17 (North Carolina), March 13, 2017

Red-light cameras could be coming to Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Cumberland County lawmakers submitted a bill to the general assembly proposing cameras last week. “I think it would be a good idea, for as much traffic that goes through here,” said Avery Brawley, who lives in Charlotte but often drives through Spring Lake to visit family and friends. (WNCN-TV CBS 17 image)


Passing Car Hits Brothers at School Bus Stop
WCCB-TV FOX 18 (North Carolina), March 10, 2017

A driver passed a stopped school bus and hit two little boys in Charlotte Friday morning. … The crash report says the driver stopped at a stop sign on Dion Avenue at City View Drive but ignored the school bus caution arm and stop sign and hit two boys as they crossed the street. The father says the car hit the 7-year-old in the book bag. He was OK. The 5-year-old went to the hospital and checked out OK. (WCCB-TV FOX 18 image)

 

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5-Vehicle Collision Inflicts Minor Injuries
Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri), March 15, 2017

A speeding motorist attempting to pass cars that were stopped for a traffic light triggered a five-vehicle crash Tuesday morning in Columbia. Three people with minor injuries were taken to area hospitals for treatment. … Early accounts of the crash said the mishap occurred when a red Ford Mustang ran through the red light. (Columbia Daily Tribune image by Matthew Cavanah)

Police Chief Speaks Up for Red-Light Cameras
Community Impact Newspaper (Texas), March 13, 2017

Sugar Land Police Chief Doug Brinkley urged state lawmakers in Austin last week to vote down legislation that, if passed, would prohibit red-light cameras like those used at six Sugar Land intersections. Brinkley testified during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Transportation on Wednesday.

Camera Snaps Hit-and-Run Vehicle
WOWT-TV NBC 6 (Iowa), March 13, 2017

Council Bluffs Police are looking for a driver that hit a city street sweeper and then sped away. The driver of the street sweeper was not injured. … A red-light camera got pictures of the silver Jeep Liberty that hit the city vehicle.

 


SUV Strikes Child Exiting School Bus
AlabamaNews.net (Alabama) March 16, 2017

Alabama State Troopers are on the scene of a crash involving a child being struck by a vehicle while getting off the bus. Troopers say a child was hit by a Chevy Tahoe while getting off the school bus. The child was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries.

States Deciding on Stop-Arm School-Bus Safety Cameras
WPLG-TV ABC 10 (North Carolina), March 14, 2017

Another state is considering adding cameras on school buses to identify vehicles that ignore stop signals and endanger the lives of students. WRAL reports the North Carolina state Legislature may soon vote on a bill that would allow counties to adopt penalties for violators identified by bus cameras.

 

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Bill Addressing Safety in Speed Zones Gains Support
Times Ledger (New York), March 14, 2017

A bill introduced by state Sen. Jose Peralta last April, which would allow the city to install more speed cameras in school zones and allow them to operate 24 hours a day, is gaining support in the five boroughs. According to a Penn Shoen Berland poll commissioned by Transportation Alternatives, 64 percent of nearly 900 likely voters said they strongly support the increase in speed cameras currently capped at 140 by state law. (Times Ledger image by Michael Shain)

 

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ATS_RoadSafety Arizonans: Have you seen these signs on the highway? It’s Red-Light Running Awareness Month in Arizona, make sure you #StopOnRedAZ!

 

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ATS_RoadSafety Retweet ZeroFatalitiesNV @DriveSafeNV Did you know? 1 in 3 people personally know someone who has been injured or killed in a crash due to a driver running a red light #StopOnRed

 

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Express Toll Lane Suggested to Address I-70 Congestion
KDVR-TV FOX 31 (Colorado), March 14, 2017

Major changes are in the works for the Interstate 70 mountain corridor near Idaho Springs. The 14-mile stretch of highway is one of Colorado’s most congested with traffic delays up to two hours or longer. According to Colorado Department of Transportation, the most plausible idea is to install an express toll lane, similar to the one it completed in the eastbound lanes in 2015.  (KDVR-TV FOX 31 image)


Expect More Tolls in Charlotte Area, Past DOT Chair Says
The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), March 13, 2017

In a question-and-answer interview with The Charlotte Observer, Ned Curren, former North Carolina Department of Transportation board chairman, commented on a number of transit topics including tolls. Q: Do you envision toll lanes being added to other highways like I-85 or U.S. 16? A: I do. The more you see vehicles being fuel efficient (and paying less in gas tax) and until we can implement alternative funding, tolling will have to be part of the solution. That’s been identified in studies in N.C. for two decades.

Cashless Tolling Tested on I-376 on Pennsylvania Turnpike
WKBN-TV Channel 27 (Ohio), March 13, 2017

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will introduce cashless tolling in April on the I-376 Beaver Valley Expressway in Beaver and Lawrence counties. This is the second location selected to test a cashless tolling system.

 

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Commentary: A Flawed Culture of Driving Safety
The News Journal/DelawareOnline (Delaware), March 13, 2017

A recent front-page story in the News Journal about the focus by state police and the Department of Highway Safety on distracted driving clearly outlined the serious safety issue of distracted driving on Delaware roads. The tragic part about these crashes is the simple fact that they are easily preventable. Human error is responsible for 94 percent of all crashes. But as AAA research continues to show, driver behavior is difficult to change.

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Letter to the Editor: Drivers Need to Slow Down
The Valdosta Daily Times (Georgia), March 15, 2017

I have witnessed drivers running red lights twice in two days, as well as a service truck exceeding the speed limit and not using their turn signal in front of Valdosta State University. City police need to watch the intersections for violators. I appreciate the difficulty, but let’s use the traffic cameras as evidence to prosecute these dangerous drivers before there is a death.

Letter: It’s Not Red-Light Cameras that Cause Crashes
The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), March 13, 2017

In response to “We are surveilled enough these days.” Drivers who have to slam on their brakes to avoid a ticket should have been braking when the light first turned yellow. We should not be speeding up to beat the yellow. That is what causes the rear-end crashes.

Letter: Put Red-Light Cameras at All School Crossings
The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), March 9, 2017

In response to “Cameras may get green light again.” Instead of bringing back red-light cameras for running red lights, why not use them at school crossings? My kids were once again almost run down Wednesday trying to cross the street to their school.

Letter: Anti-Speed Camera Logic Makes No Sense
The Arizona Republic, March 8, 2017

Rep. Travis Grantham’s bill to outlaw photo enforcement on all local roads, which passed the House, is based upon his belief that photo enforcement violates the Sixth Amendment that gives the accused the right to confront and examine a witness. … Has he and his supporters considered that using his logic these officers could not use radar or even their speedometer as they too are machines?

 

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“The survey is proof of the overwhelming support the installation of more speed cameras in school zones has. We are not just talking about the safety of our children, but also protecting pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.”
Jose Peralta, New York State Senator
Times Ledger (New York), March 14, 2017


“We saw a 58 percent reduction in accidents at the locations where we have the cameras. It is not a money generator.”
Doug Brinkley, Sugar Land Chief of Police
Community Impact Newspapers (Texas), March 13, 2017

 


National
In a pair of studies for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, David Strayer, a University of Utah psychology professor, found it takes up to 27 seconds for a driver to regain full attention after using a device, even a hands-free device for a phone call or for texting. This means that if a driver is only going 25 mph, they could cover the length of three football fields after hanging up before they regain full attention and practice safe driving. SOURCE: The News Journal/DelawareOnline (Delaware), March 13, 2017.