We’ve all seen it - and most of us have probably done it.  The traffic signal is displaying a yellow light and you speed up to “make the light.”  Unfortunately, you caught the light at the end of its phase, and when you finally get into the intersection, the light is r-e-d…red.

            As you safely make it across the junction to the other side, you glance hurriedly in the rear-view mirror hoping with all your might you don’t see a police officer.  You breathe a sign of relief when there isn’t one back there.   Mentally, you vow that the next time you approach an intersection you’ll slow down at the yellow light and stop at the red.  But guess what?  The next yellow light you see, you blast right through it, and the red light that follows.  You make your mental vow…again, and you do mean it - until the next time.

            Now, let me tell you about the person in the car on the other side of that intersection approaching you perpendicular.  They’ve had a horrible day.  They fought with their spouse in the morning, and in the afternoon, got called by the school regarding their son’s bad behavior.  After their computer at work froze and deleted the project they’d worked on all afternoon, they’re on their way home to diminish their troubles in a glass of wine.  As they approach the intersection (the same one you’re approaching) they see a red light facing them, but…miraculously the light changes to green.  They think to themselves, “Finally!  Something has gone right in this awful day,” and they press the accelerator a little harder to get home that much sooner.

            Here you come, sprinting to and through the yellow light that turns to r-e-d…red.  Can you guess the outcome of this story?  That’s right, disaster.  A traffic collision.  If everyone is very lucky, they’ll be battered and bruised, but no one will be seriously hurt.  If things go the worst way they can, one or more people will be dead.

            I made up this story to, hopefully, get you to re-think the way you drive.  When I’m on patrol in my black and white police car, most people are very aware of my presence, and drive like model citizens.  However, when I’m in my personal vehicle going home, it’s a whole different story.  People drive like they’re training for the Indy 500, changing lanes without signaling, but worse yet, they’re cutting off the driver behind them.  Then there are the folks who cruise through the stop signs in their residential neighborhoods because, “no one is ever coming the other way.”  Do I even need to bring up the cell phone issues?  I doubt it.  Even Oprah has started a “No Phone Zone” campaign to discourage people from using their phones while driving.  I’m sure you know what I mean because you’re out there with all the negligent drivers as well.

            As a police officer, and someone who spends the majority of my time at work driving the streets of Los Angeles, I see all kinds of traffic violations.  Most of the time, those violations don’t result in anyone getting hurt - most likely because other drivers have seen me in my black and white and drive defensively near the one person who hasn’t seen me.  But I’d like you to honestly think about the way you drive…the slips you make and the rules you break.  I’d like you to resolve to do better as a driver.  Otherwise, when we do get the opportunity to meet, you’ll be saying, “But officer, the light was yellow!”          

This entry was posted on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 11:12 pm and is filed under General, LAPD. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.