CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) reminds drivers that law enforcement officers will be targeting motorists who fail to stop at red traffic lights and stop signs during their high visibility Target Red enforcement mobilization that runs August 1-15, 2025.
“Nationally, drivers’ running a red light is a serious and extremely dangerous problem; locally, it is no different,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP. “Yellow traffic lights caution motorists that the red light is about to appear and does not mean to ‘go fast’,” continued McNeely.
Drivers need to always be aware of traffic lights and be prepared to stop should the light begin changing. Officers will be focused on drivers that fail to stop at red traffic lights or stop signs. The traditional “rolling” stop will result in a citation.
From 2016-2020, intersection-related crashes accounted for 18 percent of all crashes in West Virginia, accounting for 14% of all fatalities and 19% of all serious injuries, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation. Speeding and aggressive driving was the number one causal factor in intersection-related crashes during this time frame. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), between 2018 and 2022, there were 147 fatal crashes at intersections in West Virginia.
The Target Redcampaign was first presented in the Beckley, WV area in 2008. Prior to the campaign, red light violations and resulting crashes, injuries, and fatalities rose to alarming levels. When targeted enforcement and education began, incidents were reduced by 60%.
Red means stop. Slow down. Save a life. STOP on red.
To learn more about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
The purpose of the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is to encourage, promote, and support highway safety across West Virginia through the implementation of federally mandated and funded highway safety improvement measures. The GHSP reflects Governor Jim Justice’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of every traveler by raising awareness of common dangerous driving conditions. GHSP safety initiatives aim to decrease impaired and distracted driving, increase seat belt and child safety seat usage, and target speed reduction, among other goals.