Club to Kick-Off Red Light Awareness Campaign Tuesday
Indianapolis, IN (Nov.
16, 2007) – AAA
Hoosier Motor Club, working in conjunction with the Indiana
Criminal Justice Institute and the Marion County Traffic
Safety Partnership, will kick off a Red Light Running
holiday awareness campaign Nov. 20 with an 11 a.m. press
conference.
The event will take place on
the south side of Indianapolis, in the parking lot of the
Jiffy Lube service center located at the intersection of
Stop 11 and U.S. Highway 31 (7965 U.S. 31 S.). That
particular intersection, which is very close to AAA Hoosier
Motor Club’s Greenwood/Southport office (1309 E. Stop 11
Rd.) is considered to be a high-crash area.
“Red light running is an
issue of growing concern on our roadways,” said Greg Seiter,
public affairs manager for AAA Hoosier Motor Club. “And with
the increased traffic we expect to see around busy shopping
malls this holiday season, we believe it’s important to help
motorists understand just how dangerous the act of running a
red light really can be.”
In addition to Jiffy Lube,
other area merchants are also supportive of the awareness
campaign, including Steak n Shake (7960 U.S. 31 S.), Beck
Toyota (8055 U.S. 31 S.) and the Financial Center (1301 E.
Stop 11 Rd.).
The Red Light Running
holiday awareness campaign is part of special enforcement
efforts being conducted in Marion County by local law
enforcement officers through a special grant provided by the
Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous. Local agencies
are focusing their efforts on “high crash” intersections,
school zones and local interstates to reduce injuries in
those areas.
According to data provided
by the Marion Country Traffic Safety Partnership, there were
a total of 1,788 Marion County collisions throughout 2006 in
which the primary contributing factor identified as probable
cause was the disregarding of a signal or roadway regulatory
sign.
From Jan. 1, 2007 through
Oct. 1, 2007, there had already been 1,410 of the same type
of collision reported in Marion County.
“When people are in a hurry,
safety is often times the last thing on their mind,” Seiter
said. “There is no excuse for risk taking when you’re behind
the wheel of an automobile.”
During the Nov. 20, 11 a.m.
press conference, comments will be provided by
representatives from AAA Hoosier Motor Club, the Marion
County Traffic Safety Partnership and the Indiana Criminal
Justice Institute. Additionally, law enforcement officers
who will be conducting enforcement efforts in the area that
morning will also be available to provide ride-along
opportunities for media representatives, as requested.
Additionally, Seiter will
provide information relative to AAA’s Thanksgiving travel
projections.
AAA
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