Don't run red lights, Sheriff Hall warns
"Unfortunately, Florida ranks near the top of the list of states for crashes and a third of those are caused by running red lights" - Wendell Hall Santa Rosa County Sheriff
FROM STAFF REPORTS Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

The Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office will be cracking down on those who run red lights.

Santa Rosa Sheriff's office will join the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Law Enforcement Agencies across Florida and the Nation to raise awareness of the dangers of running red lights during National Stop on Red Week, Aug. 4 - 11. The sheriff's office also recently completed their second annual summer camp.

"Unfortunately, Florida ranks near the top of the list of states for crashes and a third of those are caused by running red lights," Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall said.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans 1-34 years old. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the total societal cost of crashes exceeds $230 billion annually. Contributing to the death toll are alcohol, speed, and various other driver behaviors plus the kinds of vehicles people drive and the roads on which they travel.

During calendar year 2002, a total of 42,815 deaths occurred on highways in the United States. Reducing this terrible toll is the top priority of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the FHWA is advancing a set of strategic objectives and strategies in partnership with other USDOT agencies. Nationally, the FHWA is focused on reducing the number and severity of crashes relating to situations which result in the largest number of deaths - namely: roadway departure crashes, intersection crashes, and pedestrian deaths.

Hall

There are all kinds of excuses, such as "the light was still yellow' or 'I couldn't stop the car in time.' But there in no excuse for running a red light. According to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2005 the last year for which statistics are available, there were 96 fatalities and 6300 injuries in Florida as a result of people running red lights.

During the Enforcement Wave August 4 - 11 the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office will heighten enforcement efforts on motorist running red lights in an effort to make the roadways of Santa Rosa County a safer place to travel.

Sheriff Wendell Hall and his staff have completed their second annual summer camp for "at risk" students in the Santa Rosa middle schools. To qualify the student must meet three of the five requirements: low income; at risk behavior; free or reduced lunches; a parent currently in the criminal justice system; or comes from a single parent home. The curriculum was both entertaining as well as educational with field trips to the Gulfarium, Navarre Beach, Battleship Park, Okaloosa Regional Detention Center, Pensacola Naval Air Museum, Eglin Air Force Museum, Big Kahunas and a special visit from the Florida Sheriff's Boys Ranch who presented a three day session called "Harmony in the Streets." Other topics covered with the youths were the DARE Program, Aggressors/Victims & Bystanders, Sexual Misconduct, and Dangerous Drugs. There were 37 children enrolled in the camp ranging from 11 to 15 years old representing 6th through the 8th grades. Sheriff Hall would like to personally thank each of our contributors who donated food and materials to our kids during the program. These would include Publix, Pizza Hut, Cocodries on Navarre Beach, Milton Kentucky Fried Chicken, Milton McDonalds, and the Milton Domino's Pizza. The kids are set to graduate on July 26, 2007 with a ceremony at the Whiting Field Recreational Area on Blackwater River at 10:00 AM. Each child will be presented with a certificate by Sheriff Hall plus a goodie bag and a DVD of memories from their summer with the Sheriff's Office.