More than 2.8 million drivers ran red lights in 2020, it has to stop!

Red lights can be frustrating. At times it seems like traffic lights know you’re getting close and so they change to yellow and then quickly to red just to frustrate you. And of course, it typically happens when you are running late.

Are you someone who races through a yellow light even though you know it’s about to change to red? Running red lights is dangerous and can be deadly. How dangerous? Take a look at the stats below:

• Between 2008 and 2019, an estimated 9,227 people were killed in crashes related to red-light running.
• In 2019 alone, 846 people were killed in crashes that involved red-light running. More than half of those killed were bicyclists, pedestrians, and people in other vehicles who were struck by the red-light runners.
• In 2019, nearly 143,000 people were injured in red-light running crashes.
• In 2020, with far fewer drivers on the road amid the beginning of the pandemic, red-light running was still taking place at alarming rates.

Here is some data pulled from 110 red light camera programs:

• Drivers ran more red lights in August than any other month of the year.
• Throughout the 52 Fridays in 2020, more than 445,000 drivers ran red lights. This means Friday was the deadliest day for road users at signaled intersections.
• More than 875,000 red-light running violations took place during the hours of 1-5 .pm.
• More red-light running takes place on Labor Day Weekend than any other holiday or big traffic weekend.More than 2.8 million drivers ran red lights in 2020.

So, you might be wondering which states are the most dangerous for red-light running. The National Coalition for Safer Roads has reported that in 2019  these were the top 10 most dangerous states for red-light running:

California
Texas
Florida
Michigan
Illinois
Georgia
Arizona
Indiana
New York
Colorado

So, where do we go from here? How do we improve these unfortunate statistics? Bike Walk Central Florida is an organization that focuses on advocacy for bicyclists & pedestrian safety, and Draper law Office believes in what they do. Earlier in 2021, we attended a program they developed called Operation Best Foot Forward, which partners with local law enforcement in educating drivers about crosswalk laws in Florida – which of course sometimes means handing the driver a citation, including 3 points on their license and a $164.00 fine.

How are some communities combating the dangers of red-light running? Along with traffic laws and education-based outreach, some communities have put in place red light cameras. Red light cameras are a form of automated enforcement that are intended to reduce the number of red-light running incidents because of the threat of receiving a traffic violation and costly tickets, but the stats seem to show that they are more of a revenue stream for the local government than a driving behavior modifier.

So, let’s keep it simple – we all need to Slow down and never drive while distracted in any way. Speeding is dangerous and contributes to red-light running.
Look out for others and go back to the basics of driving safely. Look right before turning on green and look both ways before entering an intersection.

Stop on red. Make a complete stop at all traffic signals. It’s a matter of life and death.

At Draper Law Office we feel that a single injury or death caused by a red-light runner is too many. If you or a loved one has been injured because of red light runner we encourage you to not go it alone. Hire an experienced and integrity-based attorney to protect your rights and to help you secure any finances that might be due because of the negligence of a red light runner or similar. Call Draper Law at 407-846-0075 or visit DraperLawOffice.com today.