Motorists who run red lights may be slowed at Fargo's major intersections longer than they think.
Fargo police have stepped up patrols at the city's major intersections in hopes of catching red-light runners and preventing accidents, Sgt. Valerie Boatright said.
"Most red lights only last about one minute," Boatright said. "Isn't a minute's wait worth someone else's life?"
The increased patrols, funded with a state grant, began July 1 and will last through September, she said.
The police department's goal isn't to issue citations, "but heighten public awareness and hopefully reduce crashes," Boatright said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Since July 1, Fargo police have logged 93 hours of overtime to increase patrols at 12 intersections.
At 10 of the 12 intersections, more than half the accidents last year involved a motorist who failed to stop for a red light, according to information provided by the Fargo Police Department.
At the intersection of 13th Avenue and 45th Street South, police last year investigated 28 accidents -- 15 of which involved a motorist running a red light.
So far, Fargo patrol officers have written about 103 extra citations -- most of which were to motorists who failed to stop at red lights, Boatright said.
"Red-light running is just part of an aggressive driving behavior that we've seen increase," said Dawn Olson, the North Dakota Department of Transportation's traffic safety manager. "People aren't yielding to the signs like they need to and because of that, the potential for crashes goes up."
The Department of Transportation awarded Fargo police an $8,000 grant to fund the increased patrols and some public awareness projects about the importance of obeying traffic signals, Boatright said.
About $6,500 will cover the costs of additional patrols. The remaining $1,500 will be used for public awareness programming, including televised safety messages, she said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Zent at (701) 241-5526
