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City of Missoula Police Department Press Release For immediate release: National Stop on Red Week, August 2-8 Contact: Sergeant Greg Amundsen Phone: 552-6333 E-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] National Stop on Red Week The Missoula Police Department will pay special attention to drivers running red lights during National Stop on Red Week Aug. 2 through Aug. 8. The goal of this national program is to reduce the dangerous behavior of red light-running and the resulting traffic crashes. Nationally, about 900 people die each year in an estimated 153,000 red light-related crashes. More than half of those deaths are other drivers and pedestrians. Clearly, red light-running is a dangerous driving behavior that needs to be eliminated. The enforcement activities in Missoula this week will focus primarily on Reserve Street. The Reserve Street corridor contains 11 of Missoula's 64 traffic signals. The enforcement will be conducted at all times of the day and night. The goal of this enforcement in Missoula will be to reduce the right-angle, rear-end and oncoming left-turn crashes that result from drivers running red lights. Enforcement is especially important to prevent these crashes, as they are more likely to cause serious injuries than other types of crashes. One national study completed by the Federal Highway Administration found that 4 percent of Americans report running red lights. One percent report running red lights often, and 3 percent report running red lights sometimes. Ninety-seven percent of Americans feel that red light running is a major safety threat. One in three claims to know a person who has been killed or injured in a red-light crash. This same study found that 31 percent of fatal crashes occur at ---PAGE BREAK--- signalized intersections, even though signalized intersections only constitute about 10 percent of intersections in the country. Contact: Sergeant Greg Amundsen Traffic Unit, Missoula Police Department Office: 552-6333 Cell: 207-0361 # ---PAGE BREAK---