Steamboat Springs police are planning an operation to catch drivers who run red lights in the city.

According to a news release from the city, “Operation Red Alert” will take place over six weeks with officers assigned to the department’s Special Assignment Unit clamping down on red-light violations.

“Red-light running has accelerated across the Yampa Valley and especially throughout the city,” said Police Chief Mark Beckett. “Few things in life will stop you faster than a crash because you ran a red light.”

According to Steamboat police, a red-light violation occurs if a vehicle enters an intersection any time after the signal light has turned red.

According to the department, motorists who find themselves “inadvertently in an intersection when the signal changes (waiting to turn left) are not red-light runners.”

“In locations where a right turn on red is permitted, drivers who fail to come to a complete stop before turning may be considered red-light runners. Violations also include people turning right on red at intersections where doing so is prohibited,” according to the department.

The “Operation Red Alert” initiative announced by the department is “dedicated to zero-tolerance traffic enforcement” around red-light violations, which carry a fine of $120 and four points toward a license.

The fine for a violation increases to $220 for violations that occur in a construction or school safety zone.