The Fort Smith Police Deprtment has issued over 50 traffic citations for disobeying a traffic signal in the first six days of the STOP FOR RED OR BRAKE FOR BLUE campaign.
Red light violations are a serious concern from citizens and visitors within our city. We hear those concerns and are committed to curb these violations.
Between Jan. 1, 2015, and Aug. 12, 2020, there have been 16,183 accidents worked within the city of Fort Smith. Approximately 813 of those accidents were directly attributed to red light violations or the driver having disregarded other traffic control signals. Although the 5% of accidents caused by red light violations is fairly low, the potential for serious injury exists.
In fact, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports nationally that fatalities connected to red light running hit a 10-year high in August of last year. At 939, AAA adds, these numbers have risen 28% since 2012. Forty-six percent of the time, victims are passengers or people in other vehicles. You can help us stop this problem in its tracks.
-Don't speed through yellow lights trying to "beat the red"
-Continue to let law enforcement know of problem areas you are observing
-Remind friends and family the initiative will continue and isn't ending any time soon
-Drive the posted speed limit to stay in the flow of normal traffic