THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601050172
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 32 lines
The turn-right-on-red traffic regulation requires that motorists STOP before they make that move. Many, many people seem to have forgotten that portion of the ordinance.
Traffic lights have yellow cautions between red and green to warn people to stop. Instead, most people push to make it through the yellow light. A driver who is inclined to stop when the light goes yellow must look carefully in the rear-view mirror or risk being slammed in the rear.
In many areas, motorists drive as fast as traffic will allow without regard to speed limits. A person going within bounds of the limit often gets pushed.
Most of these habits of bending the law are dangerous when other people are not driving carefully.
A $10,000 grant from the state to increase enforcement of traffic laws in Portsmouth should enable local officers to crack down on some of these dangerous habits.
The secret to concentrated enforcement is using good judgment to be sure the reckless, unthinking drivers get cited. Just giving out tickets to rack up numbers will not make the public very happy about a crackdown that should be welcomed. by CNB