12 August 2013

Auckland Transport launches a campaign against red light running

Auckland Transport and Police are combining their efforts to make motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians safer at traffic light controlled intersections.

A month-long campaign to raise awareness is being launched by Auckland Transport, while Police will be conducting enforcement campaigns at high risk intersections.

Auckland Transport’s Road Safety Manager Karen Hay says red light running causes crashes and costs lives. “The annual cost of red light running is estimated at $43 million and sadly the practice injures or takes the life of Aucklanders.”

Between 2008 and 2012 there were 11 fatalities, 169 serious injuries and 1466 minor injuries at intersections where motorists failed to stop at red lights.

To get the message across that “Red Means Stop” Auckland Transport is today launching a campaign using online, busbacks, billboards and radio.

The campaign has the full backing of Police. Waitemata Road Policing Manager, Inspector Mark Fergus says "Together with Auckland Transport we hope to reduce the road trauma that occurs when motorists drive unsafely at intersections.”

Auckland Transport’s Community Transport Manager Mathew Rednall says, “We need to get the message to everyone who uses our roads that there can be serious consequences if you ignore a red light.

“The most common intersection crashes are due to poor observation and failing to give way or stop including at red lights.”

This campaign follows an announcement last month that the government is stepping up the use of red light cameras, it expects to see new generation cameras appearing at intersections from the end of next year.

A Red Light Camera Pilot has been running in Auckland since 2007 it has found:

75 per cent public support for the use of Red Light Cameras

43 per cent reduction in Red Light Running, on average

69 per cent reduction in Red Light Running crashes, on average

32 per cent reduction in rear-end crashes (estimated)

93 per cent reduction in social cost of crashes (estimated)

The recently established Auckland Road Safety Executive Governance group, comprising representatives from Auckland Transport, NZTA and NZ Police, has also agreed to expand the current CBD red light camera operation to cover at least an additional five intersections identified as high-risk red light running crash sites, using the existing cameras. The sites have yet to be confirmed.

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