It’s not news to anyone that motorists continue to trail through red light traffic signals when the law would require them to stop. Often motorists must wait at green lights while cross traffic, illegally going through or turning on red lights, remains in the intersection.
But in Clark County enforcement of the law regarding stopping at red light signals is not a priority for the state patrol, county sheriff or city of Battle Ground law enforcement agencies. Instead the emphasis of these agencies is on seat belts, distracted driving and driving while impaired, priorities set by national and state officials.
In 2017, troopers with the state patrol in Clark County investigated 24 accidents attributed to motorists failing to obey red light signals, half of which caused injuries. Clark County deputies responded to 51 collisions attributed to red light violations in 2017, while the incorporated cities investigated 95 such accidents.
The Battle Ground police department investigated 209 traffic collisions in 2017, 10 of which were the result of someone running a red light.
Data on the number of citations issued for running red lights is a little imprecise. From January, 2017 through mid-May, 2018, the state patrol issued 86 citations and 172 warnings for red light violations. Red light enforcement accounted for less than 1 percent of state trooper contacts with motorists during that period.
Mike Cooke, undersheriff for Clark County, said red light citations fall under two categories of law. During 2017, county deputies issued 22 citations under a section of law dealing only with red light violations, and another 121 citations under another section of law that includes running red lights as well as other violations for failure to obey traffic control devices.
In Battle Ground, police chief Bob Richardson said his department issued 73 citations for red light infractions out of 2,838 citations issued in 2017 (2.5 percent).
Unlawful to enter intersection on yellow
State law actually requires motorists to stop for a solid yellow light when it is safe to do so, but none of the officials interviewed for this story said their agencies issue citations for entering an intersection on a solid yellow light. In fact, Battle Ground lieutenant Mike Fort said that rules regarding entering an intersection on a yellow light are vague.
Officials also said they treat each incident of a motorist entering an intersection against a red light as a violation of law. None said they allow the first trailing vehicle to get a pass and seek to issue a citation to the second or third.
Enforcement not easy
“The problem is how to enforce,” said Richardson. “If the officer is third in line at an intersection and sees someone going through a red light, the officer has to balance safety against issuing a citation,” he said. “Getting around cars and chasing such a driver is dangerous and may not be worth it,” he added.
Undersheriff Cooke gave a similar account. “The officer must witness the violation, must see the car enter on red,” he said. “Many times an officer cannot get safely through traffic to reach a violator. Officers must decide who they can safely stop.”
Staffing is also an issue with red light enforcement. Neither the Clark County sheriff’s office nor the Battle Ground police department has personnel assigned to traffic or red light enforcement. Cooke said his department is facing a staffing crisis. “There was a retirement bubble in 2013,” he said. “That bubble was accelerated by some officers leaving due to high risk.”
Cooke said he was not sure how many deputies currently patrol streets because many positions are vacant. “There is competition for deputies with a good labor market,” he said. “We are recruiting now.”
As a result, said Cooke, there are no deputies currently assigned to traffic. “Our main job is investigating serious and deadly accidents,” he said. “Deputies work harder with more overtime.” He described today’s Clark County sheriff’s office as a “911 response agency.”
The sheriff’s office has no traffic unit, said Cooke. The traffic homicide unit does not pursue traffic issues.
In Battle Ground, Richardson gave a similar message regarding staffing. He said that in 2009, the department had 28 officers whereas current staffing stands at 21 or 22 despite rising population. The department has 25 authorized positions with some not filled.
Battle Ground lieutenant Michael Fort said cars trailing through red lights are more of a frustration for other drivers than the cause of accidents. He confirmed the Battle Ground department does not currently have a traffic enforcement unit despite growing population and traffic volumes.
Lieutenant David Putnam of the state patrol offered similar thoughts. “If it is unsafe to perform a traffic stop due to creating an unsafe situation, troopers will not attempt to contact the violator,” he said. “We never want our enforcement activities to incur unnecessary risk to our troopers or the public we serve.”
Red light enforcement not a priority
Officials of area law enforcement agencies indicated that enforcement of red light laws is not a priority even though, as Richardson said, “there is no policy of leniency. We try to enforce all the laws.”
Richardson said that in Battle Ground red light compliance is not high on the list of public concerns. Most of the complaints he receives are for cars going too fast in school zones and for cars failing to yield for pedestrians.
In regards to the intersection of state highways 502 and 503 in Battle Ground, Richardson said there is no good place to sit in a patrol car, no big shoulders. “So the only option is to station an officer at the intersection with a radio and patrol cars in all four directions. That ties up manpower and costs money,” he said. “It’s a hazard to enforce at 502-503 which handles 50,000 cars a day.”
Neither the Clark County sheriff’s office nor Battle Ground police operates any motorcycles. “We have no resources for that,” said Cooke.
Putnam said the state patrol in Vancouver has three motorcycle troopers assigned to work traffic with a focus on speed and aggressive driving. “They also enforce other traffic violations as needed,” he said.
Cooke said that neighborhood speeding and speeding in school zones are the most common complaints he hears.
“It’s a balance between the cost of enforcement and the risks of other crimes,” he said. “It’s a matter of priorities. The public makes its wishes known through the county council where the budget is decided.”
Cooke noted, however, that disregarding red lights is considered a “hazardous violation” in written county policy and that violations are to be “aggressively” enforced. But, said Cooke, citations for red light violations and other failures to obey traffic control devices have been declining in recent years.
Trooper William Finn of the state patrol in Vancouver said there is no specific red light enforcement effort in the district. But, he added, “anytime a trooper observes a violation, there is possibility for contact and enforcement. We are consistently enforcing all laws, not just the ones that are hot topics. Our priority is always creating safe traveling for all motorists, focusing on behaviors that cause collisions leading to serious injuries and fatalities.”
Finn noted that his department has not received any additional funding for red light enforcement whereas there is special funding for seat belt enforcement, impaired drivers and distracted driving.
Richardson noted that area law enforcement personnel get together monthly, but red light enforcement has not been a topic of discussion at these meetings.
Federal funding sets priorities
Shelly Baldwin, Washington Traffic Safety Commission spokesperson, said that Washington receives about $9 million a year in federal money for traffic safety matters. About $52,000 of that is distributed to law enforcement agencies in Clark and Skamania counties.
Baldwin said the federal money comes with strings and that spending priorities are based on traffic fatalities. About half of the fatalities in Washington are attributed to impaired driving, another 30 percent to distracted driving, and 20 percent to failure to wear seat belts.
Even though Washington has a 95 percent compliance rate with seat belt use — fifth highest in the nation — the remaining 5 percent results in about 100 traffic deaths a year in the state.
Baldwin said that running red lights accounts for 8 percent of intersection-related deaths and 6 percent of intersection-related serious injuries.
“The most effective means of changing driver behavior at red lights is with red light cameras,” said Baldwin. Officials interviewed for this story said there are no red light cameras in Clark County.
In addition to red light cameras, Baldwin said intersections can be made safer by converting them to roundabouts, and changing the timing of signals such as longer yellow lights.
Local law enforcement agencies cannot use funding earmarked for distracted driving, impaired driving or seat belt initiatives efforts for red light enforcement efforts, said Baldwin.
Red light cameras are allowed under state law, said Baldwin. In addition, a “speed camera” experiment is underway in Tacoma.
Fines are not a motivation
A traffic citation fine for failing to obey a red light traffic signal is $136. The issuing agency retains $52 and the rest goes to the state. Richardson described the city’s share as “very little,” the theory being that citations should not be seen as a money-making endeavor by police.
“A warning is often sufficient to change behavior,” said Cooke, noting that statistically, officers issue citations during 35-40 percent of traffic stops, with the rest being verbal or written warnings.
Marvin Case may be reached at 360-687-4122 and at marvincase@msn.com
