CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Law enforcement is stepping up its efforts to reduce drivers running red lights and stop signs over the next two weeks.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is highlighting the Target Red campaign, from August 1 through 15, with more strict enforcement in that period. Target Red originated in 2008 in the Beckley area and has since reduced red-light violations by 60 percent, per the GHSP.
“Running red lights is a dangerous, nationwide crisis, and our local roads are no exception,” GHSP Director Jack McNeely said. “Drivers need to remember that a yellow light is a warning that the signal is about to turn red. It isn’t an invitation to speed up.”
Motorists are advised to be prepared to stop when a light begins to change. The GHSP’s release warned that drivers who don’t stop at lights or signs, including the traditional “rolling” stop at a sign, will result in citations from law enforcement.
The focus on intersection safety comes after some striking West Virginia Department of Transportation numbers from 2019 to 2024. Crashes in West Virginia were comprised of nearly 20 percent of intersection collisions, which caused 15.3-percent of all fatalities, per the DOT. Additionally, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that 1,119 people lost their lives in 2024 in crashes because of red-light running. Those crashes also reportedly caused 141,000 people to be injured.
The GHSP’s release said that speeding and aggressive driving lead to those problems.
The National Stop on Red Week begins Sunday and runs through next Saturday, run by the National Coalition for Safer Roads.
“National Stop on Red Week is more than a campaign, it’s a call to action. Every time we approach an intersection, we have an opportunity to make a choice that can protect lives and prevent serious injuries,” National Coalition for Safer Roads President Melissa Wandall said. “Stopping at a red light may seem like a small decision, but its impacts are far-reaching.”
“Every safe stop helps ensure that a parent, a child, a friend, a colleague, or a neighbor makes it home safely,” Wandall continued. “Real progress happens when we all embrace our role in creating safer roads by inspiring better choices and raising awareness to make every intersection a safer place. By choosing to stop today, we help protect tomorrow and move closer to a future where every journey ends safely.”
Learn more about the National Coalition for Safer Roads here and the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program here.