Coming soon to 20 intersections across Collier County is a new blue light that will be added to traffic signals. These lights are designed to help deputies easily spot red-light runners.
On Tuesday, Collier County commissioners approved the installation of blue lights at major intersections. Currently, enforcing red-light violations requires two deputies — one stationed at the intersection as a “spotter” and another down the road to make the stop. With the addition of blue lights, only one deputy is needed. When the signal turns red, the blue light automatically switches on, allowing the deputy stationed down the road to quickly spot violations.
Commissioner Burt Saunders, who led the effort for the blue light initiative, emphasized its impact on road safety. Saunders hopes the increased visibility of enforcement will discourage risky driving behaviors. “Well, the idea is that if people realize that there are a lot of law enforcement officers out there writing tickets for running red lights, the hope is that people will stop doing it,” he said.
The new system is straightforward: A deputy parked nearby watches for the blue light to come on. "You simply have a deputy in a car outside of the intersection watching the blue light. If a car goes through the intersection with that blue light on, that car is going through a red light. And so it makes enforcement a whole lot more efficient,” Saunders explained.
This move comes as part of a larger effort to prevent tragedies at intersections. Back in September, a mother was killed and two children were critically injured when a tanker truck ran a red light and collided with their SUV at Immokalee Road and Logan Boulevard. That intersection is one of the many that are set to receive the blue light system.
Saunders reflected on the tragic crash and its impact on the county’s red-light safety initiative. “There’s been, recently, a very tragic accident. A truck ran a red light and killed a woman and her child and injured another child. Now, this was someone who clearly ran through a red light. And unfortunately, those things happened. The good news is that, on average, in Collier County, on an annual basis, at our signalized intersections run by the county, approximately one person a year gets killed in those intersections because of red-light runners. So it's not a problem in the sense that people are having these horrible accidents frequently. But one accident is one accident too many.”
The project will cost around $130,000 and is expected to be completed within the next month.