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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Law enforcement officers will target motorists who fail to stop at red traffic lights and stop signs during the Target Red high-visibility enforcement campaign Aug. 1-15, according to the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program.
“Running red lights is a dangerous, nationwide crisis, and our local roads are no exception,” said Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Jack McNeely. “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.”
Drivers should remain aware of traffic signals and be prepared to stop when a light begins changing. Officers will focus on drivers who fail to stop at red traffic lights or stop signs. A rolling stop at a stop sign will result in a citation.
From 2019-2024, intersection-related crashes accounted for 19.5% of all crashes in West Virginia, 15.3% of all fatalities and 20.9% of all serious injuries, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation. Speeding and aggressive driving was the leading causal factor in intersection-related crashes during that period.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1,119 people were killed and 141,000 were injured in crashes involving red-light running in 2024.
The Target Red campaign was first presented in the Beckley area in 2008. Before the campaign, red-light violations and resulting crashes, injuries and fatalities rose to what the release called alarming levels. Targeted enforcement and education reduced incidents by 60%, according to the release.
The August Target Red campaign also coincides with National Stop on Red Week, Aug. 2-8, championed 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,” said National Coalition for Safer Roads President Melissa Wandall. “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. 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.”
Slow down. Save a life. Stop.
For more information, visit the National Coalition for Safer Roads or the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, or call 304-926-2509.
