Investigation of Effectiveness of Media Advertising and Police Enforcement in Reducing Red-Light Violations

Research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an organized public information and education program coupled with targeted police enforcement in deterring red-light-running activity at signalized intersections. To achieve the objectives of this research, data were obtained for six signalized intersections, using video technology. The field data included seven variables that assess drivers’ behavior about the yellow and red signal indications. Data were collected before and after a public information and education program that was implemented for 1 month. The study results indicate that, generally, the combination of public information and education programs and targeted enforcement does have a significant impact on the behavior of drivers approaching an intersection after the onset of the yellow light. No significant differences were found between the effects of these two treatments, however. Therefore, it can be inferred that right-angle accidents resulting from red-light running possibly can be reduced through the implementation of public information and education programs. These changes among drivers indicate that such programs are effective in deterring red-light violations at signalized intersections. The implication of this result is that governmental agencies should consider allocating more funds toward traffic safety–oriented educational and enforcement programs. With video surveillance’s impact in this project taken into consideration, automated enforcement technologies, such as red-light-running surveillance cameras, should be evaluated for further use at signalized intersections.