LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Lafayette police have issued over 160 red light violations in the first two weeks of the department’s red light awareness campaign.

Sgt. Rob Green reports that as of March 20, a total of 167 citations have been issued.  The one-month intensive push to pull over motorists who drive through red-lights has two weeks left in the campaign.

Sergent Keith Deroche is in charge of the officers on motorcycle conducting the enforcement.  “The first four days we issued 106 red light violations/citations and last week we issued 80 in five days,” Sgt. Deroche explained.

The LPD expected the number of violators would decrease as word got out.  The reason for the campaign?  “Because running red lights is what gets people killed.  People running red lights, jumping intersections, and speeding up in order to, quote-unquote, beat the light is what gets people killed or maimed.  That is our primary objective, is to increase public safety and reduce the number of fatalities and grievous injuries,” Deroche stated.

Sgt. Deroche found most violent crashes occur because people speed up to beat the light. “When they have more than sufficient time to stop, they instead choose to speed up to try to, quote unquote, beat the light,” Deroche added.

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