WASHINGTON – Today, the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) launched an interactive map that showcases the 7,799 red-light running fatalities that occurred in the United States between 2004 and 2013.
The fatalities are mapped to the city and state that each incident occurred, all the way down to the actual intersection where someone’s life was taken by a collision involving red-light running. Through its search function, the map allows viewers the opportunity to find out how many red-light running fatalities occurred in a particular city.
- Nationwide, more than 3.7 million drivers ran a red-light in 2014
- Drivers most frequently run red lights in the afternoon, with 30 percent(1,108,125) of all red-light running violations in 2014 occurring between 1 p.m – 5 p.m
- Friday proved to be the worst day for intersection safety in 2014 – safety cameras caught 596,518 total red-light running violations – while Sunday saw the fewest violations, with 473,695 total
“The ultimate goal is to honor the lives lost and illustrate the danger of red-light running,” said NCSR President Melissa Wandall, who lost her husband to a red-light running in 2003. “These dots represent a life cut too short, family and friends left to soon, and the harsh reality that red-light running can affect anyone on the roadways if more action isn’t taken to prevent reckless driving.”
Safety is the responsibility of every driver — not just during Stop on Red Week, but every day and every time someone gets behind the wheel. Intersection safety is an extremely important aspect of road safety in our community.
Top 10 Reasons To Stop On Red
10. More than 36 percent of drivers continue to run red-lights and take risks, despite the fact that 55 percent of the participants said it is a very serious threat and 73 percent acknowledged that running red-lights is unacceptable. Source
9. Red-light runners are more than three times as likely as other drivers to have multiple speeding convictions on their driver records. Source
8. Motorists in urban areas are more likely to be injured in crashes involving red-light running than in any other type of crash. Source
7. In 2013, more than 697 people were killed and an estimated 127,000 were injured in crashes that involved red-light running. Source
6. About half of the deaths in red-light running crashes are pedestrians, bicyclists and occupants in other vehicles that are hit by the red-light runners. Source
5. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 4 and the second leading cause of death for children age 3 and 5-14. Source
4. One in three Americans know someone who has been injured or killed in a red-light running crash. Source
3. The cost to society of all crashes exceeds $230 billion annually. Source
2. Between 2004-2013, an estimated 7,799 people were killed from red-light running incidents. Source
1. Red-light running is dangerous. Source
NCSR will encourage people who have been personally affected and lost loved ones in these types of traffic collisions to share their stories on NCSR’s Facebook page. In addition, NCSR hopes to mobilize others across the nation to share the map on social media, change their profile pictures to the Stop on Red icon and pledge to Stop on Red by signing the petition. They are also encouraging people to show their support via social media using the hashtag #StoponRed2015.
For more information about NCSR’s Stop on Red Week daily activities and ways you can get involved, visit www.StopOnRedWeek.com.
About National Coalition for Safer Roads
The National Coalition for Safer Roads helps save lives and protect communities by demonstrating how red-light safety cameras can improve driver behavior. NCSR brings together policymakers, community leaders and concerned citizens in support of red-light safety cameras, advocating for their use in cities and communities across the country. The National Coalition for Safer Roads is a 501 (c)(6) industry trade association. To learn more, please visit www.NCSRsafety.org, follow @SaferRoadsUSA on Twitter and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SaferRoadsUSA.
