CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Law enforcement officers are set to begin targeting motorists who fail to stop at red lights and stop signs as part of a high-visibility enforcement campaign.
The “Target Red” enforcement mobilization, which falls under the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP), runs through August 15. Launched in Beckley in 2008, the program has successfully reduced incidents by 60% since its inception.
Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP, emphasized that this is a widespread issue.
“Nationally, drivers’ running a red light is a serious and extremely dangerous problem; locally, it is no different,” McNeely said. “Yellow traffic lights caution motorists that the red light is about to appear and does not mean to ‘go fast.”
During the campaign, officers will primarily focus on drivers who fail to stop at red lights or stop signs. Even rolling stops, where a driver slows but doesn’t come to a full stop, will result in a citation.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, between 2016 and 2020, intersection-related crashes accounted for:
-18% of all crashes
-14% of all fatalities
-19% of all serious injuries.
There were 147 fatal crashes at intersections in West Virginia between 2018 and 2022, according to data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
To learn more about the program visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.