Running a red light can have deadly consequences, but there are millions of incidents each year when drivers disobey traffic signals. National Stop on Red Week is intended to raise awareness of the risks and to encourage drivers to make the smart and responsible choice and always stop for a red light.
If you or a loved one becomes the victim of a motor vehicle collision caused by a driver's failure to stop on red, you have legal rights. A personal injury lawyer can help you to pursue a claim for compensation.
Preventing Collisions Caused by Red Light Runners
Millions of people each year run red lights. In fact, according to the National Coalition for Safer Roads:
- The majority of red light violations happened on a Friday. The NCSR studied red light violations in 20 states and found that there were 570,122 violations recorded by red light cameras on Fridays in 2013.
- The fewest number of red light violations occur on Sundays. In 2013, there were 439,323 violations recorded on Sundays.
- The majority of red light violations occur between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. In fact, there were 1,070,572 violations that happened between these hours in 2013. The violations at this time account for 30.08 percent of all violations the NCSR identified.
Violations of red light laws have major consequences. According to the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR), a total of 8,700 fatalities occurred in just a single year at intersections.
The Federal Highway Administration data reveals that in 2008, there were 762 fatalities caused by drivers who did not stop for red lights. The driver who actually runs the red light is the person who is killed in only about half of the fatal crashes that violations cause. Other motorists, pedestrians or bicycle riders are killed in the remainder of the crashes.
In addition to the fatalities, there are also around 165,000 injuries annually because of red light violators. The problem is so severe that one out of every three people says that they know someone who was either injured or killed as a result of a collision caused by a red light violation.
National Stop on Red Week, which occurred from August 3- August 9, 2014, aims to inform the public of the dangers and encourage best practices for safety. The Federal Highway Administration suggests a variety of different activities during National Stop on Red Week including press conferences to share statistics; and encouraging children to wear red to school as a part of a special event. The goal is to raise awareness and get drivers to think about the dangers.
The NCSR has a pledge for drivers to take once they know how high-risk it is to run a red. The Pledge involves promising to obey the rules of the road and to stop for traffic signals in order to protect your own safety and potentially save the lives of others on the road. Hopefully, National Stop on Red Week will encourage more motorists to take the pledge and improve road safety.
Contact our Columbus, OH accident lawyers today. Call 1-800-930-SCOTT or visit https://www.sestriallaw.com for a free case consultation.
