LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Police Department has launched the "Red Light Campaign," a 30-day initiative that wants to reduce red light violations in the Hub City.
Ray Jon Williams has worked at Kevin's Seafood on University Avenue for four years and has witnessed numerous crashes at the nearby intersection.
“I sometimes ride my bike to work and I've seen a lot of people ride their bikes but mostly get hit. I feel the campaign is a really good cause due to the accidents on the 4 corners,” said Williams.
Within the first week of the campaign, the Lafayette Police Department issued 106 red light citations.
“One of the major dangers of people running red lights is they can cause major vehicle accidents, which could result in someone being severely injured or even losing their life," said Sgt. Robin Green. "So by doing this initiative, we are trying to encourage people to drive more cautiously and safely. Not only do we have vehicles on our roadways, but we also have pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. We want to ensure our roadways are safe all the way around."
The campaign also wants to discourage drivers from speeding up at yellow lights, a dangerous practice that can lead to collisions.
“Running a red light is very wrong and dangerous. What do you think is going to happen?” Williams added.
The Red Light Campaign will run from March 15th until April 11, 2025.
The LPD’s Traffic Unit will conduct targeted enforcement in high-violation areas throughout Lafayette. The campaign’s key objectives are:
- Public Awareness: Educating drivers about the serious dangers of red light violations.
- Enforcement: Increasing traffic law enforcement to ensure adherence to traffic signals.
- Accident Reduction: Decreasing collisions resulting from red light running.
- Enhanced Road Safety: Creating a safer environment for all road users, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
