AAA alerts drivers to Arizona speed cameras

By Jeff Martin, USA TODAY - March 2, 2009

Drivers have long expected things such as road construction alerts, alternate routes and information about hotels and restaurants when they sign up with AAA. Now, they're getting something else: warnings about speed cameras.

AAA announced in February that it will include alerts to its members about a new statewide system of speed cameras in Arizona in online and printed trip maps. The Arizona speed camera system, authorized by the state Legislature last June, is the latest example of the rapid growth of the technology used to nab both speeders and red-light runners nationwide.

Though AAA has included information about places it deems "strict enforcement areas," where traffic laws are aggressively enforced, in places such as Washington, D.C., and stretches of Interstate 75 in Georgia, this is the first time the group has issued such a warning about an entire state, says Mark Madeja, a spokesman for AAA.

More than 300 communities across the USA use cameras to catch red-light runners, says Russ Rader, media relations director for the non-profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That's up from about 150 communities in 2006, he says.

At the start of this year, 26 states plus the District of Columbia were using or were in the process of installing red-light cameras or speed cameras, Rader says.

Arizona's speed camera contract with Phoenix-based Redflex Traffic Systems is "the first of its kind in the entire country" because it's a statewide contract for cameras on highways throughout Arizona, says Bart Graves, media relations coordinator with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

A state law approved last year in Arizona provided about $20 million in state funding for Redflex to implement the system. The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued about 150,000 tickets from the time the program began last fall through Jan. 21 and received payments on nearly 25,000 citations, according to the latest DPS statistics.

Those numbers translate to about $435,000 in fees for Redflex and more than $4 million in revenue for the Photo Enforcement Fund, money subject to legislative appropriation, according to the DPS.

Arizona aims to have 60 stationary cameras and 40 mobile cameras in vehicles on the state's roads this year, Graves says.

Some officials are not pleased with that. There have been 14 bills filed on the topic in the state Legislature this year, most aiming to eliminate the system or make tickets less punitive. Opponents say they're gathering signatures every day.

"We can't print the petitions fast enough," said D.T. Arneson, a volunteer with camerafraud.com, which opposes photo enforcement of traffic violations. "The response is explosive."

Awareness, not opposition

Heather Hunter, national manager of public relations for AAA, says warnings about speed cameras do not signal opposition to them. Rather, they are intended to inform motorists about traffic safety and "make them aware that in this area, there will be strict enforcement," Hunter says.

Robert Musco, police chief in Green Cove Springs, Fla., a Jacksonville suburb aiming to have red-light cameras installed at intersections within the next three months, says the use of cameras "is the future of traffic enforcement."

"I send an officer out there for two hours, and he may catch one or two red-light runners," Musco says. "The camera is there 24/7, 365 days a year."

Though speed cameras are a more recent tool, the debate on the safety of red-light cameras has raged for years. Musco says cameras that prevent red-light runners help prevent killer crashes known as "T-bone collisions," in which one vehicle rams head-on into the driver or passenger side of a car.

Aaron Quinn, a spokesman with the Wisconsin-based National Motorists Association, contends that red-light cameras can actually lead to more wrecks because some cars stop abruptly before intersections with cameras, leading to rear-end collisions.

The use of cameras to catch motorists who violate traffic laws has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2005, Redflex had 70 contracts in 14 states for red-light enforcement, spokeswoman Shoba Vaitheeswaran says. Today, the company has 220 contracts in 22 states, including large cities such as Chicago and smaller ones such as Sioux Falls, S.D., she says.

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based American Traffic Solutions has cameras in more than 135 communities, including major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Houston, St. Louis and Washington, says company spokesman Josh Weiss says.

Martin reports for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D. Contributing: Casey Newton, J.J. Hensley and Megan Boehnke, The Arizona Republic.

Accident involving ambulance kills 3 in Tucson

Feb. 22, 2009 - Associated Press

TUCSON - A collision involving an ambulance killed three people early Sunday morning.

Tucson police spokesman Chuck Rydzak tells KVOA News that a car ran a red light around 4 a.m. and hit the ambulance, knocking it on its side. Both vehicles then hit a pickup truck stopped at the light.

Rydzak says a 71-year-old man riding in the ambulance with his friend, who was being taken to a hospital, was killed.

Also killed were the driver of the car, 20-year-old Andres Hernandez, and his passenger, Luis Carlos Sanchez. Two other passengers in the car suffered serious injuries.

Two medics in the ambulance, the patient being transported and the driver of the pickup truck were not badly hurt.

Rydzak says investigators are looking into speed and alcohol as possible factors in the crash.

School bus tipped over in crash
Police: Driver of car may have run red light

Carol Sowers, Laura Gold and Ofelia Madrid
The Arizona Republic Aug. 24, 2007

Three people were injured Thursday when a 17-year-old Horizon High School senior ran a red light and her car collided with a school bus, spinning the bus around and knocking it on its side, police and school officials said.

The student was leaving the northeast Phoenix campus, driving northbound on 56th Street, when her car collided with the school bus, which was eastbound on Greenway Road, said Phoenix police Sgt. John Koon.

"We're very lucky there were no students on the bus," Koon said.

The bus was on its way to an elementary school to pick up students and take them home, said Judi Willis, a spokeswoman for the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

The bus driver, Sally Van Tassel, and bus aide, Lydia Frazier, received minor injuries, Willis said.

Van Tassel was taken to Paradise Valley Hospital, and Frazier, who was hired only Wednesday, went to John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital, Willis said.

The unidentified student was treated for a possible broken leg, Koon said.

Willis said she could not identify the student because she is a minor.

The student was leaving campus, 5601 E. Greenway Road, after her fourth-period class and was done for the day, Willis said.

The school bus overturned on the south side of Greenway Road, just east of 56th Street.

Manual Tapia, a security guard at Rancho Solano, a nearby private school, said he was escorting children from a playground to a patio when he "heard a big bang," turned and saw "the bus was tumbling."

Tapia said he immediately called 911.

The accident occurred just after noon, tying up traffic and briefly closing eastbound lanes on Greenway.

City of Glendale - News

Red Means Stop

The city of Glendale is introducing a new photo red light system

To reduce the number of car accidents caused by drivers running red lights, the city of Glendale is installing a photo red light system at the intersection of 59th Avenue and Peoria. Several of these systems are being used all over the state, but this is the first Photo Red Light in Glendale.

How It Works

There will be a one-month warning period, starting in the beginning of August. Drivers will receive a notice of violation in the mail but will not be issued a formal citation. After the warning period ends, drivers will receive a citation with a login, allowing access to review the pictures and video of the violation via a Web site.

American Traffic Solutions, Inc. will monitor the new system for two years, and then an independent consultant will evaluate the effectiveness. The Glendale transportation department conducted a study to determine the best intersection for the trial. Factors in the selection of the intersection included number of crashes, ease of construction and conflicts with future construction projects.

The system will monitor northbound traffic and take photos of drivers who run a red light at that intersection. These drivers will see a flash from the front and two flashes from the rear.

“It is our hope that the photo red light system will change negative driver behavior and make our streets safer for the community,” says David Garreston, photo red light project system analyst.

Safe Streets

Arizona is the worst state in the country for red light running crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Three of the four cities with the highest rates of fatal red light running crashes in the country are Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa.

The cost for a violation is $197. Drivers have the option to attend defensive school. Citation payments can soon be made online. Visit this site often for information on that link or bookmark the city’s court site (click here to go there now).

American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Drivers can also drop off or mail in payment to the Glendale City Court at 5711 W. Glendale Ave. Glendale, AZ 85301, or by calling (623) 930-2427.

Arizona Republic - Opinions Section -
March 10, 2007

Jennifer Hinds

It started out like any school day . . .

March 10, 1997, began like most Monday mornings in our household, with everyone scurrying to get ready for work or school.

As usual, Jennifer was the first to leave, heading for her first class at Ironwood High School in Glendale.

The typical brief goodbyes were said, in full expectation that we would all see each other later. Little did I know that would be the last conversation I would have with my daughter.

Shortly after 11 that morning, while Jennifer and her friends were heading off to lunch, a careless, irresponsible red-light runner would prevent her from living out her long-anticipated hopes and dreams. High School graduation, college, travel and a career in the fashion industry - all were snatched away from her on that clear, warm March morning.

After nine years of marriage, Jennifer Lynn was our first child. She was born on a Tuesday morning, June 19, 1979. Blond hair, blue eyes and a beautiful dimpled smile.

In high school, the DECA club helped her mature, as did her job at the new Arrowhead AMC Theater. She was impatient, however, and wanted to get on with her life. New York and the fashion industry were calling to her, although we convinced her that NAU would be a great place to start, and not so far from home.

Unfortunately, Jennifer's plans were simply not to be.

Six days after Jennifer and her friends were T-boned in the intersection at 59th Avenue and Sweetwater, her life ended.

Red-light running continues to be an uncontrolled epidemic in Arizona and nationally.

There are more than 7,000 Arizonans injured and more than 80 killed annually because drivers fail to stop for a red light or stop sign.

Small children understand that "red means stop," yet intelligent people continue to get behind the wheel and ignore responsible behavior in favor of beating a red light!

Hopefully, education and awareness campaigns will wake up some drivers. For the rest, criminal penalties, including jail time, should be the norm.

If this were a health scare, there would be more interest in a solution. Unfortunately, serious and sometimes permanent injuries to thousands each year receive little notice.

It's time for the Legislature and the courts to get tough on those drivers who simply don't get it. Photo enforcement is an excellent and proven tool for law enforcement in the battle against speed and red-light running. Police officers cannot patrol every intersection, but cameras can.

The tens of thousands of red-light running victims deserve more than a statistical notation. They are all someone's child, mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent or friend. Time does not erase the memory or the pain. Ten years have passed since that awful March day, but the vivid memories will be etched in my mind forever.

March is Red Light Running Awareness Month in Arizona. This year, remember the victims whose dreams have been shattered by the irresponsible behavior of some drivers. Hug those you care about. Buckle your seat belt, obey the speed limit and remember: Red Means Stop!

Frank Hinds, Glendale
The writer is a co-founder of the Red Means Stop Coalition.

Dangerous intersections - Phoenix has 18 of Valley's 20 most crash-prone crossings The Arizona Republic By Senta Scarborough - May 24, 2001

People driving to work, shop or play face a greater risk of crashing at Phoenix intersections than at crossings anywhere else in the Valley. Preliminary figures obtained by The Arizona Republic and 12 News show that Phoenix was home to 18 of the 20 most crash-prone intersections in 2000. The other two dangerous crossings in the Valley's top 20 are in Tempe and Mesa, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The news that Rural Road and University Drive in Tempe and Southern Avenue and Country Club Drive in Mesa are among the most dangerous crossings doesn't surprise people who live and work near those intersections. "It happens all the time," said Jessie Thompson, who works at Tune Up Masters at the Tempe crossing. "If I knew a traffic guru who wanted to watch accidents, I'd tell them to camp out here."

Brenda Simmons, manager of a Denny's restaurant near Southern and Country Club, said, "People are in a hurry, and they are not watching the light. They need to be more cautious. It's a bad intersection."

The ADOT figures show 26 intersections in the Valley with at least 40 crashes in 2000. Of those, 22 were in Phoenix, two in Mesa and one each in Tempe and Scottsdale. The crashes tend to be concentrated in intersections besieged with thousands of commuters each day weaving their way to and from work, many of them in west and central Phoenix. "Inattention is a huge, huge problem as so many people are in a hurry," Phoenix police Sgt. Mike Hein said. Most of the collisions occur under clear skies during daylight hours because of driver inattention, analysts say.

A wreck a week was recorded last year at each of the Valley's two most crash-prone intersections: 19th Avenue and Indian School Road and Seventh Street and McDowell Road, both in central Phoenix. Among all surface streets in the Valley, Indian School Road has the most collision-prone intersections in the Valley. Six crossings ranked among the 20 most crash-prone. Many of the dangerous intersections involve six-lane roads that carry about 40,000 cars per day.

Jim Sparks, Phoenix's deputy street transportation director, said that when two six-lane streets converge, about 80,000 people are crossing each other's paths, increasing the likelihood of crashes. "The more traffic, the more collisions," he said. Although every police department collects data on intersection collisions, they don't always classify accidents the same way. For example, the Phoenix Police Department says the intersection at Ray Road and 50th Street in the Ahwatukee Foothills area had 72 crashes last year, making it the most crash-prone in the city. However, ADOT named 19th Avenue and Indian School and Seventh Street and McDowell as having more accidents.

ADOT officials stressed that their statistics are preliminary. City engineering and police departments study collision data, comparing frequency, traffic volume, severity of crashes and contributing factors. Engineers search for problems they can correct with design improvements or other changes, such as more signs, timing adjustments, or left-turn lane arrows. Sparks said his staff designs signals and striping with drivers in mind. "In about 95 percent of the cases, it's the driver's error. It's rare to have an instance where the equipment failed or there's debris in the road," said Matt Burdick, ADOT public information officer. "Someone made an error, whether by running a red light or speeding."

Traffic officers try to reduce the number of collisions by targeting poor driving behavior. "A lot of our enforcement is about education. Just because you are stopped doesn't mean you are going to get a ticket," Hein said. Almost any time safety campaigns are waged, collisions decrease, Sparks said, but the key is not to wear out their welcome, because people forget or get tired of the message.

The cost of accidents is staggering. In Maricopa County alone, collisions meant $1.3 billion in lost wages, medical expenses, motor vehicle damage and employer costs in 1999, ADOT data show. The figures are not broken down to reflect how much of this toll was exacted by crashes at intersections. "Just because you are not involved in an accident does not mean you are not impacted," Hein said. "Collisions increase the cost of insurance and health care. So everybody is affected one way or another."

Reach the reporter at senta.scarborough@arizonarepublic.com or call (480) 444-7937.

Bob Golfen - The Arizona Republic -
May. 17, 2006

If you think Phoenix drivers are the rudest, most impatient and most discourteous in the country, you're wrong.

We're second.

According to a newly released survey of U.S. cities, the nastiest drivers on the highway are found in Miami, followed by Phoenix, New York City, Los Angeles and Boston.

The list was compiled by AutoVantage, a Connecticut auto-travel club, after a survey of 2,040 drivers in 20 major metropolitan areas.

"They don't put on their signals when they switch lanes, they tailgate, they run red lights, they don't pay attention to what they're doing," Charlene Laswell of south Phoenix said as she ticked off her list of driving complaints.

Laswell, 51, said Valley drivers are among the rudest she has encountered, including those back East.

"In Ohio, they're much more patient, and they're more willing to give you the right of way," Laswell said.

Her daughter, Lore McCuin, 24, said she has seen a change for the worse in Phoenix driving behavior in recent years.

"It's a lot tougher here than it used to be, I'll tell you that," she said. "I'm pretty frustrated myself by other people's driving."

The Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey, conducted by Prince Marketing Research for AutoVantage, targets the root causes of road rage, a growing problem on U.S. highways and a major cause of crashes.

"More and more, in cities across America, people are acting out their frustrations, with dangerous results," said AutoVantage spokesman Bobby Hamilton, a NASCAR driving champion. "Road rage has unfortunately too often become a way of life both on and off the track."

The Valley's growing traffic problems, road construction and long commutes have heightened the stress for drivers throughout the Phoenix area, said Rick Knight, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

"I don't feel we're any worse than a lot of cities, but if you look at the ones the survey identified (as worst), they're all large cities that have grown very rapidly and have a lot of new roads," Knight said. "What I see mostly are drivers who show plenty of patience for what's been going on."

The survey's methodology and conclusions were faulted by another DPS spokesman, Harold Sanders, who said the number of survey respondents was too small to give an accurate assessment of driver courtesy. He also said the survey questions and responses were mostly irrelevant.

"This courteous rating doesn't make sense to me," Sanders said. "What they've come up with is ridiculous. No validation, no verifiable information."

Phoenix-area drivers often spend extra time in their vehicles because of long commuting distances in dense traffic, which can add to impatience, said Linda Gorman, spokeswoman for AAA Arizona.

"People tend to be a bit more frustrated because it's such a big, spread-out area," Gorman said. "It can wear on anybody's nerves."

A more-critical problem seen by AAA is the increasing instances of distracted drivers, a likely cause of accidents, she said.

"Distracted drivers talking on their cellphones, playing with their Blackberries, talking with their passengers. That's more of a prevalent problem that we see every day," she said. "We're doing a lot more things in our cars that have nothing to do with driving."

Sarah Elizabeth Wintz

November 24, 2006 - Ahwatukee Republic

The Nov. 18 article announcing the installation of a red-light camera at the intersection of 40th Street and Pecos Road in Ahwatukee is wonderful news. Finally.

On Dec. 2, 2003, our beautiful and gifted 17-year-old daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was killed at 40th and Pecos by a speeding red-light runner, a reckless adult driver who had just exited the freeway.

At that time, there was no reduce-speed signage on Pecos Road and no red-light camera at the intersection. Sarah's death could have been prevented if better attention had been paid to the dangers of Pecos Road prior to its opening.

Our family is grateful that since Sarah's death traffic-enforcement officials have taken seriously the issues of Pecos Road, and express to them our deepest thanks.

While we long for our daughter with every breath we take, we are hopeful that with these additions hopefully no other families will have to experience the death of a loved one due to the actions of a reckless driver.

We urge all drivers to slow down for Sarah. Over 180,000 persons are killed or injured every year by red-light runners. For more information visit Arizona's Red Means Stop Coalition at www.redmeansstop.org.

-- Rev. Sue Wintz - Mesa

Woman dies in accident on way to holiday dinner

Dianna M. Náñez - The Arizona Republic -
Nov. 25, 2006

Thanksgiving Day turned tragic for a Chandler family when police said a truck ran a red light at San Tan Village Parkway and Williams Field Road.

Gilbert Lt. Joe Ruet said the extended-cab Chevrolet truck, heading east on Williams, struck the passenger side of Bradford and Melissa Bockhorn's Chrysler sedan.

Melissa, 46, was killed "almost instantly," Ruet said. Bradford, 49, was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn and is in stable condition.

Ruet said the couple had on their seat belts in the 11:25 a.m. collision Thursday, as did the driver and the three passengers in the truck.

Ruet said the driver, Gilbert resident Daniel J. Farnsworth, 30, who ran the red light, was traveling with his children. No one was injured in the truck.

"He (Farnsworth) was devastated," Ruet said.

Bradford declined comment.

Police, who said the wreck is under investigation, said no citations have been issued.

The incident was made more tragic, Ruet said, by the fact that the Bockhorns were being followed by a second car of family members as they all headed to a home for a holiday dinner.

Ruet said police counselors were dispatched to the scene to help the grieving family.

He said he hoped the collision will serve as a sobering reminder for people to keep their eyes on the road.

"You don't realize all that separates you from death sometimes is a painted line on the roadway or a light up on a pole," he said. "There were no special factors . . . no alcohol or drugs were involved."

Driver who killed boy, 14, 'thumbed nose' at system

Jim Walsh - The Arizona Republic - Nov. 1, 2006

Mesa's city prosecutor will seek jail time for a young woman who "thumbed her nose" at the City Court when she failed to pay her fines, perform community service or attend a traffic school after she caused the death of a 14-year-old boy last year.

The drivers license of Angela C. Cruz was suspended in February when she failed to make $100 a month payments on a $3,867 fine for civil traffic violations stemming from the Sept. 23, 2005, death of Sean Casey, a Rhodes Junior High School student who was crossing Baseline Road on his way home from football practice.

Mesa police cited Cruz, 21, again Aug. 25 in the 600 block of South Dobson Road for driving with a suspended license, having an expired automobile registration and having no insurance. She is scheduled to make a preliminary appearance Friday before Judge Michelle Lue Sang.

"Due basically to her thumbing her nose at the court, I think jail time is required," said Mesa City Prosecutor John Pombier. "She's done absolutely nothing she was required to do."

Pombier said jail time is unusual for a misdemeanor, but "there has to be some penalty," especially because the latest charges arose from Sean Casey's death.

In the original 2005 case, Cruz pled guilty to running a red light, causing the death of another while failing to stop for a red light, having no proof of insurance and displaying a license plate while her registration is suspended.

She told Mesa police that she was looking at paperwork and was not watching the road when her 1994 Chevrolet Caprice struck and killed Sean Casey.

Municipal Court Judge James Hazel Jr. sentenced her in December 2005 to 200 hours of community service, attending the Traffic Survival School sanctioned by the state Division of Motor Vehicles within 45 days and the fine.

Don Casey, Sean's father, has never believed the punishment matched the crime and has been lobbying Mesa police to submit their investigation to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which would decide if a felony negligent homicide charge should be filed.

But Cruz was not speeding or impaired by alcohol or drugs, according to police.

"She doesn't care," said Casey, who has become a public safety crusader in the wake of his son's death. "She didn't take care of her community service and fines. She doesn't respect the law."

As the result of Casey's pleas, the City Council lowered the speed limit along Baseline near Rhodes to 35 mph and authorized flashing lights that display the speed traveled by drivers.

On the latest charges, Cruz faces up to 180 days in jail and up to a $2,500 fine, Pombier said, adding that his plea offer would include jail time.

Driving on bad license? Penalties up

Bob Golfen The Arizona Republic - Oct. 2, 2006

Frustrated state lawmakers have beefed up penalties for those who injure or kill while driving on suspended or revoked licenses.

According to new state laws that went into effect Sept. 21, drivers without licenses can face felony charges, including prison time, for crashes that result in injury or death.

"What has happened, drivers keep driving even on suspended licenses and people are sick of it," said Detective Walter Olsen of the Phoenix Police. "Now we're saying, you keep driving on a suspended license and kill or hurt somebody, we're going to send you to prison."

Under the new penalties, the drivers can be charged with a Class 4 felony, which calls for up to four years in prison and heavy fines, if they cause death while driving without licenses and commit serious violations, such as running a red light, speeding or failing to yield to pedestrians.

If they cause injuries during the same violations, they can be charged with a Class 5 felony, with up to two years in prison and heavy fines.

The penalty for licensed drivers responsible for injuries or death tied to a serious traffic violation (ARS 28-672)moved up from a civil traffic violation to a Class 3 misdemeanor, which can result in 30 days in jail.

Red-light runner caused fatal accident, police say

Elias C. Arnold - The Arizona Republic - Sept. 14, 2006

A car accident last week that claimed the life of a Gilbert mother and daughter was caused when another driver ran a red light, police said Wednesday.

Witness statements indicate that David C. Oliver, 39, of Gilbert, accelerated through a traffic light just before reaching the accident site at Williams Field Road and the Santan Freeway, police say.

Statements also indicate he was trying to beat a second light when he collided with the car driven by 30-year-old Jamie Finnerty, said Sgt. Andrew Duncan, a police spokesman. Finnerty, and daughter Alexis, 12, were pronounced dead at the scene.

"We're convinced that he ran the red light," he said.

Oliver was driving a Ford F-350 pickup westbound on Williams Field Road in the late morning Sept. 5, when he collided with Finnerty's vehicle as she exited Loop 202, police said.

The impact pushed Finnerty's 2004 Honda Accord over a raised median and into the eastbound lanes, according to police.

Duncan said that the investigation is ongoing and that a final report should be completed in about six weeks.

Most red-light cameras and speed detectors aren't really photo radar

Arizona Republic - September 4, 2006

Photo radar has been a hot topic ever since Scottsdale started monitoring speeders on the Loop 101 earlier this year.

Just one thing: it's not radar.

None of the permanent camera installations around the Valley designed to nab speeders and red-light runners has anything to do with radar. They operate on a system of sensors in the roadway. The devices sense large metal objects passing over them to determine whether the car, truck or motorcycle is speeding or zooming through a red light.

Radar speed detectors are used in mobile photo-speed-enforcement units that park along streets in various locations. Those systems are the only ones that can accurately be called photo radar

Also, police officers use radar to catch speeders.

Father makes daughter's death have meaning
Coalition spreads word on impact of running lights
Alison Stanton - Special for The Republic - Mar. 4, 2006

Frank Hinds has taken the worst event of his life - the death of his 17-year-old daughter by a red-light runner - and turned it into the inspiration to help change traffic laws.

As executive director of the Red Means Stop Coalition, he has worked to increase public awareness of red-light running and reduce the number of deaths caused by red light running.

Hinds' daughter, Jennifer, died on March 16, 1997, six days after being hit in front of Ironwood High School in Glendale.

In 1999, Hinds, 62, helped form the coalition, a non-profit organization that works to spread the word about the dangers of red-light running.

On Tuesday, the group will have a booth at the Wellness Fair at GateWay Community College in Phoenix, and in April, it will be part of the Women's Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Looking back on that horrible day almost nine years ago, Hinds said he remembers vividly how frustrated and angry he and his wife, Gail, were when they learned the punishment given to the young man who caused the accident.

"The law only allowed him to get a ticket for running a red light," the Glendale resident said. "At that point, we discovered that red-light running was a bigger problem than people realized, and that the punishment did not fit the crime."

Hinds began working to see what he could to make the fines stiffer for people who run red lights. With the help of state lawmakers, Jennifer's Law was passed in 1998. The law increased the penalties for people who run a red light if someone is severely injured or killed.

"It was a start. At least we had something in place that made it more than just a ticket for running a red light," Hinds said.

Although he was pleased to have Jennifer's Law in place, Hinds said he wanted to do even more. In January 1999, he began the Red Means Stop Coalition, along with Les and Donna Marquis of Scottsdale and John and Kathy Philippi of Cottonwood, whose children were injured by a red-light runner.

"We go to driver's education classes in high schools and a number of safety events that community colleges have," Hinds said.

The group works alongside a car that was involved in a red-light running accident and also displays posters with photos and descriptions of the people who have been affected by red-light runners.

"I think some people need to see that. They're not just numbers and statistics. They are and were people with lives. Sometimes you need to show the pictures," he said.

Hinds said there are about 150 people involved with the group, and about half have had an immediate family member or friend killed by a red-light runner.

Barb Hoffman joined the coalition about a year ago, shortly after her 14-year-old son, Michael Allanson, was killed by a red-light runner in Mesa in August 2004.

The Gilbert resident, who works as a program coordinator in the School of Life Science at Arizona State University, has worked in the booth at events. One day, she hopes to speak at the House of Representatives in an effort to make the penalties even stiffer.

"We are totally against any reduction of punishment. We actually want to increase punishment," she said.

Sue Wintz of Mesa also has been involved with the coalition for over a year. Her daughter, Sarah, was killed by a red-light runner in Ahwatukee in December 2003.

"The biggest thing that inspired me is how pro-active they are," said Wintz, a staff chaplain at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. "Not just with education, but in working to change the laws and saying, 'Look, we are the families of the victims - talk to us first.' "

Hinds said he enjoys hearing from people who said they have been changed by the coalition's presentations. He is also glad that Gov. Janet Napolitano supported his coalition by decreeing March to be Red Light Running Awareness month.

"People come to me all the time who talk about the fact that when they are sitting at an intersection and the light turns green, they don't just go, they hesitate for a few seconds and they pay more attention," he said.

More than anything, Hinds does not want Jennifer's death to be in vain.

"It's probably good therapy for me, but I'm also doing it for her. Sometimes I think I don't want her death to be another statistic," he said. "I want to make something more of it and prevent this from happening to someone else."

Avondale turns on red-light cameras
Lynh Bui - The Arizona Republic - Feb. 20, 2006

Red-light runners won't be smiling at the newest cameras in Avondale.

Today, the city launches its red-light photo-enforcement program, a first for the West Valley.

The cameras will snap pictures at the city's two most dangerous intersections: Dysart Road at McDowell Road and Dysart at Van Buren Street, which have accounted for about 500 collisions and 80 injury accidents since 2000.

Drivers will have a 30-day grace period before the city begins issuing $140 citations.

"The theory behind the cameras is to reduce accidents, which also means less time by officers doing investigations" and more time patrolling the city, Avondale Police Chief Kevin Kotsur said.

The number of cars traveling along Dysart Road has increased in recent years with the development of such popular shopping centers as Coldwater Plaza.

June Lageschutle of Avondale said Dysart Road is "always busy" and hopes the cameras will keep the area safe.

"We try to avoid driving on Dysart Road, but there are times when you have to travel it," she said. "The cameras could be advantages."

The cameras are on a one-year trial run. After that time, the city will review the program's effectiveness and decide whether to continue using the devices.

Avondale's red-light program starts two days before Scottsdale's photo-enforcement cameras will hand out warnings for speeders along Loop 101. Scottsdale will now roll out fines beginning at $157. The state Senate recently sent a bill to the House that would prohibit speed- enforcement cameras on freeways, including the ones currently being used in Scottsdale.

Six other cities in the Valley use photo enforcement, including Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Glendale is studying the cost of having a red-light camera pilot program.

Reach the reporter lynh.bui@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-4135.

Scottsdale tries new red-light device hoping to curb crashes
Digital radar waves used at intersection

Michael Ferraresi - The Arizona Republic - Dec. 20, 2005

SCOTTSDALE - New traffic signal lights are being installed in Scottsdale that could help prevent red-light runners.

If proven effective, a prototype traffic device could extend green lights to prevent collisions at intersections throughout the city.

Scottsdale is the first U.S. city to install the SmartSensor Advance, which bounces digital radar waves off cars to determine if drivers need additional time to move out of fast or congested intersections. advertisement

By extending green lights, officials believe the SmartSensor could prevent collisions in the "dilemma zone," which they define as the area where a driver must decide to stop, or try to rush through the yellow light at an intersection.

Utah-based Wavetronix LLC installed the device two months ago at Pima Road and Westland Drive.

The SmartSensor extends green lights depending on the speed of oncoming vehicles, or the number of vehicles near the intersection.

Bruce Dressel, intelligent-transportation-systems analyst for Scottsdale, said fewer than five collisions have occurred at Pima and Westland.

Pima Road residents have complained in recent months about accidents at other intersections and dangerous driving on the road north of Loop 101, but the SmartSensor was not installed in response to any public outcry, Dressel said.

The SmartSensor technology is effective only at intersections with low traffic volumes, where cars are moving in both directions at higher speeds. It would not work in downtown Scottsdale, where cars are consistently inching their way through busy intersections.

"We'd certainly consider using it at other locations up there (in north Scottsdale)," Dressel said. "We have a few other fairly isolated intersections where it could work if it's found to reduce accidents."

The SmartSensor cost $3,000 to install, Dressel said. Comparable technology costs upwards of $10,000.

The device emits radar waves from a rectangular box mounted on the traffic signal crossbar, said Don Leavitt, a spokesman for Wavetronix.

Scottsdale and Wavetronix believe the device could solve the problem of drivers getting into accidents at intersections where they do not beat red lights, or where they risk rear-ending other vehicles if they try to beat the red light.

Crash apology is rejected Family, friends of victim lash out in court
Josh Kelley - The Arizona Republic Dec. 3, 2005

Family members crushed by the loss of 21-year-old Ricky Smith unleashed their frustration Friday in Gilbert Municipal Court after the man accused of running a red light and killing Smith in April asked for forgiveness.

"I want to apologize to the family," Angel Rocha Pantoja, 31, said through an interpreter. "I want to ask them to forgive me. Please forgive me."

Pantoja quietly spoke in Spanish facing the judge with his back to the family.

"My intent was not to harm anyone," he said. "It's a heartfelt apology that I am expressing . . . I am very, very sorry."

Smith's family and friends, still suffering from the grief of losing the young man they loved, sobbed during the hearing Friday morning.

"I'll never be able to hold my son, kiss my son and tell him how much I loved him, how much I was proud of him," said Rick Smith, Ricky's father.

"When I buried my son, I went with my son," Smith told a stoic Pantoja, standing only a few feet away. "I hope later in my heart I can find forgiveness."

Pantoja, an undocumented immigrant, admitted responsibility for violations described in two civil traffic citations police gave him, including one for running a red light and one for driving without an Arizona driver's license.

For months, Smith's family pushed to have Pantoja tried in Superior Court, where more serious charges could be brought against him.

But a Gilbert police investigation determined that Pantoja was not impaired by drugs or alcohol and had no criminal intent when he collided with a Pontiac Firebird driven by Smith, who died a short time later.

The collision occurred April 25 at Val Vista Drive and Williams Field Road in Gilbert.

Five witnesses interviewed by police and an off-duty Chandler police officer who saw the collision said that Pantoja, traveling west on Williams Field, clearly ran a red light.

Pantoja's truck then crashed into Smith's car, which was going south on Val Vista through a green light, the witnesses said.

Mayor Steve Berman asked County Attorney Andrew Thomas to examine the case, and Thomas agreed to have his office review it.

But like police, the County Attorney's Office could find no criminal grounds under Arizona law to charge Pantoja for Smith's death.

In response, the Smiths and Berman said they have talked with state Rep. Andy Biggs and state Sen. Thayer Verschoor about proposing legislation that would allow courts to impose jail time on people who intentionally run a red light and cause a fatal collision but are not impaired or otherwise driving recklessly. Rick Smith said such laws are in place in other Western states.

Berman said any legislation would have to be carefully drafted to avoid putting people in jail who accidentally run a red light, such as a distracted mother reaching for a child slipping out of a car seat.

"There's nothing that we can do at a municipal level to change the law that's causing the problem," Berman said.

The Smith family settled a lawsuit out of court against the owner of the truck that Pantoja was driving, said Richard Lyons, an attorney for the family. Lyons said Pantoja was uninsured and called the settlement "woefully inadequate given the loss of the family."

On Friday, Judge Kristin White imposed the maximum sentence for both traffic violations.

For running the red light, Pantoja must pay a fine of $1,000 plus an 85 percent surcharge, perform 800 hours of community service, attend traffic survival school and will not be allowed a driver's license for at least 180 days. White fined Pantoja $250 for not having a license plus an 85 percent surcharge.

White said she had no authority to impose stiffer penalties and scolded Pantoja for making "a bad decision" that ended Smith's life.

To Pantoja's credit, White said, "It would have been easy for you not to come, but you are here today."

As a result, he bore the fury of Smith's devastated relatives.

"You will never get forgiveness from me," said Jennifer Norman, whose two young daughters had a close relationship with Ricky.

Ruth Jasinski clutched a photo of Ricky in her hands as she tore into Pantoja, who silently listened as the interpreter translated.

"You took a life that was precious to all of us," Jasinski said. "You're tearing our hearts out. You have no idea what you've done."

For Ricky's friends, the pain also has been overwhelming, said Chris Cruse, who did not attend Friday's hearing because he said he couldn't face Pantoja.

On Nov. 14, Cruse and other friends visited Ricky's gravesite and his parents on the day he would have turned 22.

"It's really a heartbreaker for me," Cruse said. "This guy knew everything there was to know about me inside and out. There's nobody out there in the world that was like that."

Speed on Green?
The Arizona Republic - October 11, 2005

Red-light radar cameras can now do double-duty, photographing drivers who speed through intersections as well as those running red lights. It's the latest step by some Valley cities to crack down on traffic violations.

• Mesa will increase its photo coverage from 13 operating cameras at intersections to 30 by April. Speed on green will be available at one to five intersections, with officers targeting those with high number of collisions.

• Chandler is experimenting with speed on green. Drivers are receiving warnings until Nov. 30 from three cameras on Ray Road. The City Council will decide whether to adopt speed on green permanently.

. Scottsdale has nine speed-on-green cameras, eight at intersections. A camera turned on in August 2004 at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and 77th Street initially recorded 132 violations a day, but the number dropped to 43 a day in July of this year.

2 sites on Dysart Road to get red-light cameras
Lynh Bui - The Arizona Republic - Sept. 24, 2005

Avondale's two busiest intersections will soon boast photo red-light cameras.

Earlier this week, the City Council approved a one-year contract with American Traffic Solutions to put red-light enforcement cameras at Dysart Road where it intersects with McDowell Road and Van Buren Street.

The cameras could be on the streets by November, Avondale Police Chief Kevin Kotsur said.

"The main issue here is trying to reduce accidents and reduce injuries at these intersections," he said.

ATS, which provides the technology for New York City, will install equipment and provide service to the city free of charge for one year. After the one-year pilot program, Avondale will review the results and effectiveness of the cameras and decide whether to continue the program.

The New York City Police Department reports that red-light running dropped by about 41 percent after the city installed cameras in 2000.

After the system is running, Avondale will wait 30 days before issuing tickets to let drivers become aware of and get used to the cameras.

Scottsdale, Chandler, Paradise Valley, Tempe and Mesa are other Valley cities using the technology.

Safety advocates tout Stop on Red Week
Arizona Republic - Phoenix News Briefs - September 3, 2005

PHOENIX - Traffic safety advocates joined Phoenix officials Friday to commemorate National Stop on Red Week.

Organizers also released data that showed a local decline in red-light-running deaths and injuries.

"Phoenix leads the nation in red-light-running fatalities and crashes while Arizona is the worst state in the nation for red-light crashes. Our community has worked hard to shed its reputation as the red-light-running leader," said Robert Bohm, president of the Red Means Stop Coalition, in a statement.

Red-light-running crashes at intersections with cameras have declined more than 7 percent since the cameras were installed in 2001, according the group. By comparison, total red-light-running crashes citywide dropped 4.3 percent.

The group says the data show that the cameras are helping.

Dozens remember Mesa teen at vigil
By Hayley Ringle, Tribune - August 29, 2005

MESA - He was remembered as a funloving kid with wild hair who loved technology, fixing things and riding his bike. Dozens of family and friends gathered Sunday night holding flickering gold and silver candles to remember Michael Allanson.

They stood on the northwest corner of 64th Street and McKellips Road in Mesa, where the 14-year-old was killed a year ago.

"I feel closer to Michael here than at the cemetery," said his mom, Barb Tucker Hoffman, who wore a shirt with a picture of her blond, curly-haired son. "I feel his spirit is stronger here."

Michael was killed when an 82-year-old Apache Junction man ran a red light at 6:20 p.m. Aug. 28 and hit the boy as he was crossing the street on a motorized scooter. Michael was wearing a helmet, was in the crosswalk and died at the scene.

The driver, who said he thought the light was green, wasn’t impaired, wasn’t speeding, and stopped after the collision, police said. He was cited for running a red light. Efforts to contact him Sunday for comment were unsuccessful.

Because of the crash, Hoffman wants mandatory testing for senior drivers and wants to remind people to stop at red lights. Beside the picture of her son, a freshman at Shepherd Junior High School, were the words "Red Means Stop."

"If (drivers) can’t drive safely, they shouldn’t drive," Hoffman said. People should make sure they can follow basic traffic rules before getting behind the wheel, and those who can’t should not have driver’s licenses, she added.

Hoffman is a member of the Red Means Stop Coalition, a nonprofit group trying to prevent red-light running and reduce intersection crashes. The group also supports legislation, enforcement and prosecution that imposes stiffer penalties on violators. For information, visit www.redmeansstop.org.

Hoffman also is receiving help from Compassionate Friends, a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. For information, visit www.compassionatefriends.org.

Contact Hayley Ringle by email, or phone (480)-898-6301

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Traffic signal experiment to be judged
Michael Ferraresi - The Arizona Republic - Aug. 19, 2005

SCOTTSDALE - Scottsdale traffic engineers will decide soon if the city's experimental traffic signals framed by bright yellow reflective tape will be expanded to other intersections throughout the city. >A decision about possibly expanding the number of intersections with the decals will likely come this winter.

The intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Thompson Peak Parkway was the first in Scottsdale to have the tape installed, to help enhance the safety of residents in the surrounding Horizon neighborhood.

Officials said it is simply too early to tell if the features - also added to lights at Thomas and Hayden roads, and at Scottsdale Road and Butherus Drive - have had any impact on traffic safety.

"When we're doing safety evaluations of intersections, we typically take three years of accident data to identify what movements within an intersection lead to safety problems," said Paul Porell, city traffic engineering director.

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National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running>
Honors Sen. John McCain On World Health Day - April 7,2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running commemorated World Health Day 2004 by presenting an award to Arizona Senator John McCain on Capitol Hill for his support of traffic safety and the Red Means Stop Coalition in Arizona.

The World Health Organization established April 7th as World Health Day 2004. This year's global health issue is road safety, and the Red Means Stop Coalition has worked with the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running to call attention to the problem of red light running.

Frank Hinds, one of the founding members of the Red Means Stop Coalition, presented the award to McCain. Mr. Hinds lost his 17-year-old daughter Jennifer in 1997 when a motorist ran a red light near her school and hit the vehicle in which she was traveling. Mr. Hinds has been a strong advocate for red light safety in Arizona. Phoenix ranks first among American cities in red light running fatalities and Arizona led the nation in fatal red light collisions, a total of 42 people were killed and over 6,000 injured in 2002 alone.

“In addition to his long-standing support for traffic safety, Senator McCain actively supported the Campaign’s effort during 2003 National Stop on Red Week in Phoenix with traffic safety officials and the Arizona Diamondbacks,” said Leslie Blakey, executive director of the Campaign. “It was fitting that we honor the Senator on the World Health Day dedicated to road safety.”

Each year, red light running results in as many as 218,000 crashes, over 900 deaths and 181,000 injuries at a societal cost of $14 billion.

The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running is a national advocacy group guided by an independent National Advisory Board that includes leaders from the fields of traffic safety, law enforcement, transportation, engineering, health care and emergency medicine, as well as crash victims. More information on the Campaign can be found at www.stopredlightrunning.com.

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Dads who experienced tragedies fund scholarship
The Arizona Republic By Doug Carroll - June 15, 2003

John Philippi of Gilbert and Charles Canfield of Chandler are friends and fathers, brought together by tragedies yet determined to see that something good comes from them.

Philippi's daughter, Krystal, and Canfield's son, Billy, were involved in separate auto accidents caused by red-light runners.

Krystal, now 22, survived and is a junior at Arizona State University, although the traumatic brain injury she suffered in the April 1998 crash has altered her life forever. Billy, 17, who underwent open-heart surgery as an infant and received a pacemaker at age 6, was killed last November in the 1979 Pontiac Firebird that he and his father had planned to restore.

"There's a reason this happened," Canfield said.

Last month, John Philippi and Charles Canfield each gave $500 to endow the Krystal Philippi/Billy Canfield Inspirational Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a college-bound Chandler High School student with a disability.

The first winner was Lauren Nopar, a skin-cancer survivor and honors student who has persevered despite a number of medical challenges.

A chance encounter with Krystal Philippi in a department store last summer gave David Nardi, a longtime history teacher at Chandler High, the idea for the grant.

"I was so inspired," Nardi said, "and I thought, 'This is the type of kid who can inspire other people.' "

Krystal and her boyfriend were en route to the Chandler High prom in a borrowed Mustang convertible when their car was hit. Her boyfriend suffered facial cuts and bruises.

John Philippi, on his way back from a business trip to Thailand, wanted only to see his girl in her prom dress. He was told of the accident when he arrived home.

Krystal's brain injury was so severe that John and his wife, Kathy, were told that their daughter might spend the rest of her life in a vegetative state.

Krystal was in a coma for 10 weeks, followed by almost a year of arduous rehabilitation in which the straight-A student needed flashcards to relearn how to add 2 plus 2, even how to bathe and dress herself.

At the graduation of Chandler High's Class of 1998, John walked in Krystal's place and accepted her diploma. He took off work from the Tempe machine shop he owns to accompany Krystal daily to rehab.

"My parents were told I'd never go to college," said Krystal, now planning for a career in educational psychology. She admitted that she "will never be 100 percent again, even though I look like it," and said severe headaches persist.

"I used to be a cheerleader," she said. "I was 4.0 (grade-point average) and so smart. But I've always loved life, and now I appreciate it even more."

Charles and Virginia Canfield regarded each day with Billy as a blessing after he was born as a "blue baby," with the two major vessels of his heart transposed.

"We spent so much of his life keeping him alive," Charles said. "When we were done, we had Billy, and everything else meant nothing."

Billy bought his own car and delivered pizzas. He died in that car, near Alma School and Warner roads, on a Friday when he and his dad were to begin sanding and repainting it.

"His whole life, he was the neatest kid," said Charles, an underground-utility contractor. "He always seemed to think about other people."

Charles will accept an honorary diploma for Billy with Chandler High's graduating class next year.

"Not a day goes by that I don't cry at some point, usually when I'm alone," Charles said.

The Philippis and the Canfields work with the Red Means Stop Coalition, which is dedicated to reducing intersection crashes through legislation, enforcement and education.

The families also would like to see the Chandler scholarship bearing their children's names grow to $10,000 next year, and they have begun discussing fund-raising ideas.

They have become close.

"Unfortunately, Billy is gone," John Philippi said. "But we have Charles and Virginia with us. They're not looking for a support group. They're looking to make a difference."

Charles Canfield takes some of his inspiration from Krystal Philippi.

"I look at her and all she has to deal with, and I see how hard she tries," he said. "What a godsend she is."

Reach the reporter at doug.carroll@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-7945.

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