Speeding in Yakima? Be Careful Watch For Red Light Runners

Yakima Police and Officers in Union Gap are stopping speeders on a daily basis on city streets as they say they see more people not obeying traffic laws. However the number of people getting in crashes by running red lights is down over the past week.

REMEMBER PATROLS ARE HAPPENING IN YAKIMA AND UNION GAP

Both Yakima Police Chief Matthew Murray and Union Gap Police Chief Greg Cobb have called special emphasis patrols that will last through the spring and summer to keep drivers and pedestrians safe.

THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT BUT SOME ARE DROPPING

Every Tuesday the Yakima Police Department publishes traffic statistics from the ongoing patrols. During the week of April 30 through May 9 Officers made a total of 672 traffic stops and issued 322 citations to drivers. They also arrested 12 people for DUI. Officers investigated 21 collisions with 7 the result of drivers not stopping for a red light. Compare those numbers to the week before when Officers made a total of 617 traffic stops and they issued 269 citations. During the previous week they also arrested 4 drivers for DUI.

RED LIGHT RUNNERS CAUSING CRASHES

During the week of May 23 through May 29, 27 drivers were in a crash in the city but 11 of the crashes were the result of a driver not stopping for a red light, an ongoing problem in Yakima.

POLICE KNOW WHERE THE MAJORITY OF CRASHES ARE HAPPENING IN YAKIMA

Police say a majority of the red light crashes are happening at three specific intersections in the city;
*40th Avenue and Powerhouse Road
*East Yakima Avenue and 17th Street
*16th Avenue and Summitview
The patrol numbers are available for Union Gap but Officers in both cities continue searching for drivers who dont' obey traffic laws hoping to cut the number of serious injury and fatal crashes in Yakima and Union Gap.