Deputies from Collier County slowing down red light runners
This isn’t just your typical red light/green light situation at Immokalee Road and Livingston Road right before rush hour.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the drivers they monitor at red lights face greater risks, according to a recent article by Ashley Graham of NBC2.
“So right now, I’m behind a large county utility pole so that I can have a view of the stop bar at this intersection and the traffic control device on Immokalee Road,” a deputy told NBC2. Therefore, I am able to attest that I had a clear view and that no cars that were running the red light here were blocking it.
Three CCSO cruisers are hidden nearby, poised to stop any motorist who runs a red light. In Collier County, deputies use this method at intersections to punish people who run red lights.
Corporal Harle remarked, “What you see is just insane.”
According to Harle, as time passes, he witnesses an increasing number of vehicles running red lights, endangering more lives.
“I do think it’s a trend that, unfortunately, it is increasing,” Harle stated. “A lot of it is ‘I didn’t notice the lights,’ Today I had one that was too close to the, you know, the vehicle in front of me so I didn’t see the light. One more indicated he believed it would be safer to pass through the light rather than halt at the genuine red light.”
Regardless of how inventive the justification, it is illegal. After these encounters, every driver received a ticket worth more than $200.
“We’re merely attempting to remain vigilant and take all necessary measures to effectively tackle this problem,” stated Cape Coral police officer Mercedes Phillips. “We frequently wait at traffic signals. We’ll see you even if you don’t, so we can just sit there and keep writing down red light infractions one after another.”
According to Cape Coral police, there can be fatal outcomes in some situations.
“A lot of our traffic homicide investigations are actually the result of people who fail to notice right of way,” she continued, “or they blow a stop sign or a stop light or something like that and people can get severely injured.”
You’ll pay somewhere in addition to that $200 ticket.
“It’s points on your license,” Phillips stated. “And a lot of times, the insurance companies will look at the number of points on your license and increase your insurance rates.”
More people equals more traffic and drivers. Deputies believe that ultimately the message will be understood with each traffic stop.
This article originally appeared on NBC2
