Chief Robert M. St. Pierre   Police Headquarters

GRIDLOCK........ the Dangers and the Penalties

Over the last several years traffic "gridlock" has increased remarkably. While it can happen on any roadway, usually at the intersection of two or more roadways, drivers in Salem's Riley Plaza intersection are sometimes forced to wait through several cycles of light changes before being able to continue on to their destination.

The answer to eliminating gridlock is simple, ANTICIPATE THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGING TO RED so that you are not stuck in the intersection when the light turns red in your direction.

The Dangers of Gridlock

Gridlock leads to ripple effect traffic back-ups in other intersections, forces pedestrians out of the crosswalk and into travel lanes, adds to frustration and incidents of road rage and can delay emergency vehicles quick passage to answer emergency calls.

The Penalties of Gridlock

Drivers causing gridlock can be charged with the following motor vehicle violations:

c89, s9     Entering a Busy Intersection.....................................................................................................   $150

c89, s9     Red Light Violation .................................................................................................................   $150

c89, s8     Failure to Yield Right of Way  ...................................................................................................   $35 

720CMR    Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian in Crosswalk ..............................................................................   $200

720CMR    Passing a Motor Vehicle Stopped for a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk .................................................     $200

c89, s11   Stopping on or Blocking a Crosswalk  ........................................................................................    $200

c89, s7a   Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle ........................................................................................    $100

Environmental Impact

Motor vehicles idling unnecessarily in an intersection add to poor air quality as exhaust fumes fill the air.