| Tony Hartzel: Red, green lights don't come cheap 12/24/2000 By / The Dallas Morning News Santa Road Runner keeps a list of unlucky motorists this holiday season.
Hundreds of times a year, drivers run into traffic lights, stop signs and fire hydrants. All too often, the drivers speed away, leaving no trace of whom to blame. Others, though, get caught with the repair bill.
"If there's any way to identify the responsible party, we will hound you to death," said Susan Bulla, director of risk management for the city of Fort Worth. "And if you don't have insurance, we will set up a payment plan."
Each year, Fort Worth's transportation and public works department receives $20,000 from motorists who hit traffic lights and other items. Fort Worth and many other Dallas-area cities bill the repair costs to the motorists responsible for their breakage.
Here are some price tags associated with traffic equipment:
• Breakaway street sign post: $80
• Signal heads (with red, yellow and green lights): $125 to $137; baffles and visors extra
• Arm connecting the signal head to traffic light pole: $400 to $1,200
• Traffic light pole: $500 to $900
• One of the most expensive traffic signal items: traffic light equipment cabinet located beside intersection: $7,000
"That's the one with all the magic inside," said Gena Brown, senior administrative assistant for the Fort Worth public works and transportation department.
So the cost isn't as much as demolishing someone else's car. Still, any battle between your car and the traffic light equipment will be rather one-sided.
"Those signals, they usually win," Ms. Brown said.
In addition, Fort Worth, like many other cities, will ask the Texas Department of Public Safety to revoke a motorist's license if the bill is not paid.
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Keeping with the Christmas spirit, a recent national survey of 407 people by Progressive.com shows that 32 percent of drivers surveyed will drive after having one or two drinks at holiday parties.
On another question, 41 percent of respondents said they experience road rage during the holidays, and 25 percent said worrying about meeting all the commitments of the holidays likely would cause them to get angry at something when they're behind the wheel.
Perhaps the most alarming response to the insurance company's survey was that 44 percent said they know of a friend who, despite being a designated driver, consumed alcohol and drove.
With alcohol still the biggest cause of fatal accidents, this provides even more reason to drive defensively.
Tony Hartzel can be reached at P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, TX 75265 or at
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