Indianapolis is My Home

21
Nov

Holiday Traffic Warning

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Greenwood, News, Shopping

One of my least favorite times of the year is now close. No, it’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas, it’s the shopping season mayhem. Here’s a little bit of a warning to those that will be shopping around the south side over the coming weeks.

Red Light-Runners Beware: Indy Cops Watching: Enforcement Zones Target High-Risk Intersections

Eyes will be fixed on drivers who run red lights at some of the busiest intersections in Marion County, just as the busy holiday season gets into gear.

Police in Marion County are launching a new partnership which will put officers on the street in special enforcement zones to crack down on people who run red lights and commit other traffic offenses, 6News’ Julie Pursley reported.

Stop 11 Road at U.S. 31 South, just north of Greenwood Park Mall, is one of the target enforcement zones because it is designated as one of the most dangerous intersections in the county.

I can attest to this as I ran an “orange” light in this intersection a number of months back as I was trying to make it to the Kerasotes 16 theater to see the movie “300″ with a friend. $180 bucks, and I still missed the movie because Fandango screwed up my reservation as well and Kerasotes didn’t have it in their system. Most expensive movie I’ve ever NOT seen in my life!

Motorists who get pulled over in the high crash zones should expect to get a ticket.

“Officers are on zero tolerance. They are being paid overtime,” said Don Bickel, of the Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership.

Police agencies are teaming up to try to cut down on the number of accidents and fatalities at intersections.

People who work near 31 and Stop 11 said the area is notorious for accidents because drivers are in a hurry.

“That light gets ran all of the time,” said Craig Niehaus, manager of a nearby Jiffy Lube. “I’ve been here going on three years there have been four (crashes) since I’ve been here.”

Five other areas, considered high-crash intersections, will also be targeted. Those intersections are:

86th Street at Keystone Avenue Washington Street at Mitthoeffer Road Lafayette Road at Georgetown Road High School Road at Crawfordsville Road 79th Street at Michigan Road

Enforcement zones will be set up in those areas, and police will also be on the lookout for other violations.

On Tuesday morning, a man was ticketed for driving on a suspended license when he was stopped for a seat belt violation.

AAA Hoosier Motor Club is joining the partnership to get the word out that the crackdown is not about officers writing tickets, but is about saving lives.

“We’re all working together to try to emphasize that people need to pay attention,” said Greg Seiter, of AAA. “They need to adhere. They need to slow down and take their time.”

Several enforcement zones are near major malls. Police will patrol them heavily during the busy shopping period, but enforcement is expected to continue into next year.

Save yourself some money and some mayhem and do your shopping online this year.

Source: Red Light-Runners Beware: Indy Cops Watching on WTHR