The recent accident on Riverwatch Parkway that killed three boys, all ages 8 and 9, happened when a driver accused of traveling nearly 70 mph in a 45 mph zone allegedly ran a red light, striking the car with the three boys sitting in the back seat. That car, which turned left in front of the speeder, also ran the red.
In the aftermath of the accident it’s easy to say the decision to run the light was foolish and reckless. But let’s pretend the accident never happened. Let’s pretend that both drivers slipped through the red without a collision. After all, that’s what happens literally thousands of times every day in every city in America, Augusta included. Yellow means speed up. So does a fresh red.
What are those red-light runners gaining?
One minute? 90 seconds? Maybe two minutes? Let’s forget for a moment that running a red light is dangerous and illegal. Let’s just look at the time involved. It’s really difficult to believe that arriving at the store one or two minutes later will matter. In what universe does getting home from work 60 seconds sooner matter? Are the jobs of these red light runners so tenuous that they would be fired for arriving 90 seconds late? Are their schedules so tight that they can’t leave for work two minutes earlier?
The two men who ran the Riverwatch red, with three dead children as the result, have undoubtedly learned a terrible and tragic lesson. Saving a minute or two isn’t worth it. But what about the rest of us? Think about that the next time a green turns to yellow in front of you.
Here’s a link to an issue of the Medical Examiner with a cover story on speeding and the miniscule amounts of time it gains:
Apr3.15