FHWA 31-01
Friday,
August 31, 2001
Contacts:
FHWA,
TaMara McCrae (202) 366-0660
ATS, Harry Teter (800) 556-7890
To
raise awareness about the danger red light running poses to motorists and
pedestrians, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the American Trauma Society (ATS) are sponsoring the
fourth annual “National Stop on Red Week” Sept. 1–7. Nearly 1,000 Americans lose their lives each year in red
light running crashes.
“That’s
a deadly cost imposed on our nation,” said Federal Highway Deputy Executive
Director Vince Schimmoller. “We
applaud local communities for helping to make people aware that a split second
decision to run a red light can easily take a life.
Their work supports safety which is President Bush’s highest
transportation priority.”
According
to Department statistics, in 1999, the last year for which these statistics are
available, there were nearly 91,000 crashes in intersections with red lights.
These crashes resulted in more than 90,000 injuries and 956 fatalities.
“We
all remain very concerned about red light running and the loss of nearly 1000
Americans each year,” said ATS Executive Director Harry Teter.
“However, in this program and others, we also want people to recognize
that 1000 families are also traumatized by these crashes.
The health community believes that this “Second Trauma” is often as
harmful as the car crash. It just
gives us one more reason to strive even harder to make people aware that running
red lights is dangerous and extremely harmful.”
This
year’s National Stop on Red Week theme is “Consider the Cost” to encourage
more traffic safety interest groups, law enforcement agencies, hospitals and
other medical care providers, law makers and others to initiate or continue
local programs to combat red light running.
Schimmoller
pointed out that FHWA and ATS, in collaboration with other partners such as the
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), are working to provide guidance,
support and assistance to local communities in all aspects of engineering,
education, enforcement, and emergency response and care as part of the national
program.
Communities
across the country are raising awareness of red light running through press
conferences, increased enforcement, and distribution of educational materials
and other activities. The Stop Red
Light Running program provides those interested in promoting highway safety with
technical and program support for local initiatives.
A website for further information is available at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/srlr.htm.
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