'There Is No Grace Period For A Red Light'

The Benton County Sheriff's Office posted to social media on Friday, and the post wasn't something you'd think a Sheriff's Office would have to make. It was all about red lights and that red means stop, not go if you think you are close. Just stop.

https://www.facebook.com/BentonMNSheriff/posts/pfbid02MUQuB9M7h6UUv8KFdA7398kDJpP6M6UFHm8qgufHd79aeWKR5cf6r3dv8a6gArc2l

The post was short and sweet, but definitely made a point.

Someone out there needs to hear this. There is no grace period on a red light. A red light means do not enter the intersection. Be safe, stop for the red.

It seems the Benton County Sheriff's Office must be seeing the same things we are seeing on a regular basis around the St. Cloud metro area. What are drivers around here seeing, and seemingly have seen for years now? Drivers are taking liberties with the stoplights and continuing through on SOLID red lights.

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I've only lived in the area for a year now and I have learned to react to stoplights here like I do stopsigns. I look both ways before I start going after having some close calls if I decided I wanted to get going as soon as the light turned green.

According to Seibens Edmunds Miller online running a red light isn't cheap if you are caught. The average fine for running a red light in Minnesota is $300.

So how about we all do ourselves a favor? Let's start stopping for the red lights, especially at intersections already dealing with extra traffic due to the construction that is happening seemingly everywhere you go.