Using Focus Groups to Investigate Issues of Red Light Running

2000 ◽  
Vol 1734 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne M. Wissinger ◽  
Joseph E. Hummer ◽  
Joseph S. Milazzo
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Engineering ◽  
Red Light ◽  
The United States ◽  
Red Light Running ◽  
Grace Period ◽  
The Public ◽  
Red Light Cameras

Red light running (RLR) has been an important issue among transportation officials seeking to make intersections safer for drivers and pedestrians. Many cities in the United States have started programs aimed at reducing the number of red light violations, and many of these programs include the use of automated enforcement utilizing a camera to record violations. Previous research on such enforcement has quantified the rate of its public acceptance through surveys; however, little research has been performed probing the reactions and concerns of the public toward red light cameras. For this study, focus groups were used to investigate the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of the public toward RLR and red light cameras. Fifteen focus groups were held throughout North Carolina with representatives from organizations interested in and knowledgeable about traffic safety, traffic engineering, and traffic law enforcement, as well as with people not professionally involved in law enforcement or traffic engineering. Some of the focus group discussions involved such issues as determining an appropriate RLR grace period, developing an educational campaign, addressing financial issues, and determining appropriate penalties for RLR violations. Participants voiced their opinions on both sides of the issues; for instance, many participants said they strongly believed there should be some sort of grace period with automated enforcement, whereas others said they felt a zero-tolerance policy should be used. Also, many participants voiced their unequivocal support for automated enforcement, whereas others expressed concerns.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Automated Enforcement Program in Amman

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Naghawi ◽  
Bushra Al Qatawneh ◽  
Rabab Al Louzi
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Crash Frequency ◽  
Red Light Running ◽  
Red Light Cameras ◽  
Percent Confidence Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Traffic Violations

This study aims, in a first attempt, to evaluate the effectiveness of using the Automated Enforcement Program (AEP) to improve traffic safety in Amman, Jordan. The evaluation of the program on crashes and violations was examined based on a “before-and-after” study using the paired t-test at 95 percent confidence level. Twenty one locations including signalized intersections monitored by red light cameras and arterial roads monitored by excessive speed cameras were selected. Nine locations were used to study the effectiveness of the program on violations, and twelve locations were used to determine the effectiveness of the program on frequency and severity of crashes. Data on number and severity of crashes were taken from Jordan Traffic Institution. Among the general findings, it was found that the AEP was generally associated with positive impact on crashes. Crash frequency was significantly reduced by up to 63%. Crash severities were reduced by up to 62.5%. Also, traffic violations were significantly reduced by up to 66%.  Finally, drivers’ opinion and attitude on the program was also analyzed using a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey revealed that 35.5% of drivers are unaware of AEP in Amman, 63.9% of drivers don’t know the camera locations, most drivers knew about excessive speed and red light running penalties, most drivers reduce their speed at camera locations, 44.4% of drivers think that the program satisfies its objective in improving traffic safety and 52% of drivers encourage increasing the number of camera devices in Amman.

Legislative Issues Related to Automated Enforcement of Red-Light Running

2003 ◽  
Vol 1830 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Kraus ◽  
Cesar Quiroga
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Red Light Running ◽  
Legal Strategies

Red-light running is one of the leading causes of crashes in urban areas in the United States. A number of strategies are available to address this problem, including engineering countermeasures, educational campaigns, and improved law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies are increasingly relying on automated systems using photographic devices to enforce red-light-running laws. While automated enforcement systems appear to have wide public support, there is considerable confusion among drivers, engineers, planners, and decision makers as to the legality and constitutionality of those systems. The debate is particularly acute when it comes to issues such as privacy, use of information, and constitutional rights. These issues are analyzed and legal strategies are compared in states that have passed or attempted to pass legislation to regulate automated enforcement. The analysis highlights differences among states depending on their statutory laws and whether red-light violations are treated as civil or criminal offenses. The analysis reveals major differences in the way states legislate program details, which, in turn, affect program implementation. Also included is a review of current European red-light-running legislation, where automated enforcement systems have a longer history than in the United States.

Are the Deadliest Mass Shootings Preventable? An Assessment of Leakage, Information Reported to Law Enforcement, and Firearms Acquisition Prior to Attacks in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Lankford ◽  
Krista Grace Adkins ◽  
Eric Madfis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Federal Bureau ◽  
Specific Interest ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
The Public ◽  
Active Shooters ◽  
Mass Shooting

This study examined the 15 deadliest public mass shootings in the United States from March 1998 to February 2018 to assess (a) leakage of violent thoughts/intent, (b) leakage of specific interest in mass killing, (c) concerning behaviors reported to law enforcement, (d) concerning interest in homicide reported to law enforcement, and (e) firearms acquisition. We then compared our findings on the deadliest public mass shooters with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) findings on active shooters in general. Overall, the results suggest that most incidents were indeed preventable based on information known about offenders in advance, and that the deadliest mass shooters exhibited more warning signs and were more often reported to law enforcement than other active shooters. Future prevention efforts should aim to educate, encourage, and pressure the public to report warning signs to law enforcement, educate and train law enforcement so that they can more effectively investigate potential threats, and limit firearms access for people who have admitted having homicidal or suicidal thoughts or being interested in committing a mass shooting. These relatively straightforward steps could significantly reduce the prevalence of future attacks.

scholarly journals Attitudes toward Applying Facial Recognition Technology for Red-Light Running by E-Bikers: A Case Study in Fuzhou, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Yanqun Yang ◽  
Danni Yin ◽  
Said M. Easa ◽  
Jiang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Facial Recognition ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Red Light Running ◽  
The Public ◽  
Traffic Police ◽  
Public Traffic ◽  
Survey Results

The application of facial recognition technology (FRT) can effectively reduce the red-light running behavior of e-bikers. However, the privacy issues involved in FRT have also attracted widespread attention from society. This research aims to explore the public and traffic police’s attitudes toward FRT to optimize the use and implementation of FRT. A structured questionnaire survey of 270 people and 94 traffic police in Fuzhou, China, was used. In the research, we use several methods to analyze the investigation data, including Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and multiple correspondence analysis. The survey results indicate that the application of FRT has a significant effect on reducing red-light running behavior. The public’s educational level and driving license status are the most influential factors related to their attitudes to FRT (p < 0.001). Public members with these attributes show more supportive attitudes to FRT and more concerns about privacy invasion. There are significant differences between the public and traffic police in attitudes toward FRT (p < 0.001). Compared with the public, traffic police officers showed more supportive attitudes to FRT. This research contributes to promoting the application of FRT legitimately and alleviating people’s concerns about the technology.

It’s the walk, not the talk: Behavioral indicators of concealed and unholstered firearms carrying

2020 ◽  
pp. 0032258X2096077
Author(s):  
Nathan Meehan ◽  
Christopher Strange ◽  
Alexander Garinther
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Behavioral Indicators ◽  
The Public ◽  
Training And Research

This article identifies a set of behavioral indicators associated with the carrying of concealed and unholstered handguns. Using qualitative data collected from interviews and focus groups with veteran law enforcement, we outline a variety of cues that, when used appropriately, can help authorities identify people who may be concealing handguns. This work provides a systematic means of assisting the police in identifying and safely interdicting persons who might pose a threat to police or the public. The cues described here contribute to a lexicon that may also serve law enforcement communication, training, and research.

scholarly journals CREATING DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IN THE UNITED STATES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S444-S444
Author(s):  
Tracy Wharton ◽  
Daniel Paulson ◽  
Courtney Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Social Service Agencies ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Emergency Personnel ◽  
Training And Support

Abstract The Dementia Care & Cure Initiative in Florida is a statewide movement to advance dementia friendly communities. With 25% of the state over the age of 65, Florida has one of the highest rates of dementia in the nation. The taskforce based in Orlando involves a partnership of representatives from social service agencies, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and research partners, as well as consumers. The task force commissioned a series of five focus groups with 43 consumers. These focus groups produced short and long-term recommendations, identifying such issues as needed training for emergency personnel and law enforcement, improving inter-provider communication, and providing culturally competent programming for a diverse region. The taskforce has been planning with the Mayor’s office and law enforcement to initiate training and support for community engagement, and planning for implementation of these goals. Recommendations from the groups and from the taskforce to community leaders will be discussed.

scholarly journals Investigating Different Types of Red-Light Running Behaviors among Urban e-Bike Rider Mixed Groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Chenchen Kuai ◽  
Huitao Lv ◽  
Wenhao Li
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Signalized Intersections ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Red Light Running

The red-light running (RLR) behaviors of urban mixed e-bike groups (delivery and ordinary e-bike) have become the main cause of traffic accidents at signalized intersections. The primary purpose of this study is to identify influencing factors of e-bike riders’ RLR behaviors, focusing on the role of delivery e-bike riders in mixed e-bike rider groups. Crossing behaviors of 4,180 e-bike samples (2006 delivery e-bikes and 2174 ordinary e-bikes) at signalized intersections are observed in Xi’an, China. The random parameter multinomial logit model is employed to capture the unobserved heterogeneous effects, and the effects of interaction terms are also considered. The results indicate that delivery e-bike riders are more likely to run red lights than ordinary e-bike riders. E-bike type, riders’ age, waiting position, traffic volume, traffic light type, and time of day are associated with crossing behaviors in urban mixed e-bike groups. In addition, the variable of traffic light status is found to account for unobserved heterogeneity. Findings are indicative to the development of effective implications in improving e-bikes’ traffic safety level at signalized intersections.

Prediction of Expected Red-Light-Running Frequency at Urban Intersections

2003 ◽  
Vol 1830 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Bonneson ◽  
Ho Jun Son
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Cycle Length ◽  
Red Light ◽  
The United States ◽  
Red Light Running ◽  
Significant Safety ◽  
Safety Problem ◽  
Street Width

Statistics consistently indicate that red-light running has become a significant safety problem throughout the United States. Comprehensive guidelines for treating red-light running at problem intersections have been developed. Unfortunately, these guidelines do not include a tool or technique for quantitatively determining if a problem exists and if a countermeasure is truly effective. The objective of this work is to describe the development and calibration of such a tool. The calibrated prediction model developed for this research indicates that red-light running increases with flow rate, speed, and dense platoons arriving at the end of the phase. It was also found that red-light running decreases with increasing cycle length and cross-street width, and when back plates are used on the signal heads. Uses for the calibrated model are described.

Female Youth Convicted of Sex Offenses: Public Opinion on Public Notification

2021 ◽  
pp. 088740342199190
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Budd ◽  
Shannon Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Plea Bargaining ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Public Notification

Throughout the United States, sex offender registration laws in many states and the federal government have expanded to include juveniles. Once juveniles are registrants, they can potentially be subjected to required or discretionary public notification (PN). Given the documented detrimental effects of PN on juveniles and the prevalence of sexual offending by juvenile females, this study investigated public opinion on applying PN to juvenile females who were convicted of a sexual offense. Participants were 947 individuals recruited using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk who completed an online survey. Multivariate logistic regression found support for PN increased when the public felt law enforcement was effective in investigating these crimes and there were increased public safety concerns. Support for PN decreased when the public supported plea bargaining and supported the law distinguishing between adults and juveniles who commit sex crimes. Implications of these results are discussed.

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