February 5, 2003     Los Gatos, California Since 1881 Photograph by George Sakkestad Red light means stop! Local law enforcement officers participated in a countywide crackdown on red-light running that started last week. The intersection of Highway 9 and University Avenue, considered one of the top crash-prone intersections in the county, was heavily monitored by officers on Jan. 29. Members of the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department, the Campbell Police Department and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office spent two hours at the intersection and caught eight red-light violators. Sgt. Dave Gravel says the officers made use of a new technology, called a red-light indicator, that is mounted on the backside of a stoplight and allows police to monitor red lights from the opposite direction. The technology, made possible through a grant to the county, is safer for officers, who no longer need to speed through an intersection to catch a red-light violator. Other crash-prone intersections in Los Gatos are the corner of Highway 9 and N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Lark Avenue at the southbound Highway 17 ramp, and Lark at northbound Highway 17. According to Caltrans data, those four intersections were the site of 59 accidents between 1999 and 2001; none were fatal, but some caused injuries and property damage.

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