Light runners to be caught red-handed
November 8, 2009
Florida State University student Samantha Doll was driving home from a morning lab, waiting at the intersection of Tennessee and Woodward. When the light turned green, she started to make a left turn onto Tennessee Street, heading east-bound. Halfway into the intersection, however, another car rammed into her driver’s side at 40 miles per hour, running a red light.
“I remember it like it was no other thing,” said Samantha Doll, the victim of the Sept. 24 accident. “(I have) back, neck, and shoulder pain, and I have to do physical therapy (…) I totaled my car, and had to take a lot of time off school and work.”
The biological science major is a survivor of red light runner crashes that claim the lives of thousands each year. However, the City of Tallahassee is working to prevent these accidents by installing red light cameras at six targeted intersections.
“The primary emphasis of these cameras is to curtail the people,” said Gabriel Menendez, the director of the city’s Public Works Department. “Running red lights is a very dangerous behavior, (and) not just for the person doing it.”
Menendez is one of the many individuals overseeing the installation and operation of red light cameras throughout the city.
“New technology that we have (will) allow us to monitor the vehicles traversing the intersection and (indicate) whether or not they’re running the red light,” Menendez said.
The cameras are expected to be up and running a little after the first of the year. Red light citations are estimated to cost between $125 and $150. Fortunately for drivers, the new ordinance will begin with an initial burn-in period.
“The first 30 days (we) will monitor the traffic, (we) will identify the people violating, but we will be issuing warnings and not citations,” said Menendez.
The tickets are set to be priced cheaper than the $223 citations distributed by the police officers themselves and will not affect the drivers’ ability to possess a license, unlike the three points put on the license when tickets are issued by officers.
The downside is that the owner will be responsible for the ticket, even if the owner of the vehicle is not the offender when the red light is run, said Sgt. John Newland of the Tallahassee Police Department.
“The cameras will take a picture of the front and back of the car of the violator,” said Newland. “The front picture will be designed to show whether or not they’re behind the stop bar when the light turned red. The rear picture will (get) the tag, and that’s where the ticket will be sent.”
The cameras will serve as an extra eye for the officers who monitor the traffic daily; but won’t take the place of the officers completely.
“Just because we’re putting cameras up doesn’t mean we’re taking the officers off the street or anything,” said Newland.
So don’t think that because the cameras will be on the scene that the officers will be nowhere to be found.
This monitoring, along with the accurate reinforcement of the cameras will also help in situations such as Doll’s, where the individual who caused the accident attempted to give police officers two different accounts of what happened.
“When the cops got there he admitted he ran the red light but then once his friends got there he tried to change his story,” Doll said. “I think he was probably talking or texting on his phone and that’s why he didn ‘t realize (he was running the light).”
Girl that was really good,you made me so proud i almost cried.Love ya girl.
This paper was very well written… I am so proud of you baby sister…i guess i better slow down,and stop trying to make the light. i swear my picture was taken also when i ran the red light..
Love you .
Jackie this is really good boo thats my boo you go girl