It’s safe to say that most people know not to run a red light, but why then do accidents still continue to happen across South Carolina? The fact is that there are many factors that contribute to a driver running a red light other than not wanting to wait. Fortunately, there are also many safeguards put in place to detour these accidents from happening.
What is considered running a red light?
Understandably drivers want to know what is considered running a red light. The reason for that is usually because drivers tend to find themselves in the middle of the street as the light turns red. This is not considered a violation. Running a red light means that the light had already turned red before you came to it.
Severity of running a red light
There’s a reason why a motor vehicle crash caused by someone running a red light often leads to fatalities. This includes the driver accelerating in an attempt to beat the yellow light. The acceleration means that whoever is going to be hit will be hit at a much greater force than if they were moving at normal traffic speed.
Number of injured parties increases
Unlike a regular car crash, the number of people injured is much higher when a driver runs a red light. The reason for that is because pedestrians and bicyclists have now begun to cross the street. The addition of a high-impact crash along with a high-volume of pedestrians means that more people are likely to become injured or die.
Do traffic signal cameras work?
Over the past couple of years, more and more cities have begun adding traffic signal cameras. Cameras are used to detour drivers from even thinking about running a red light as they know that they are likely to receive a hefty fine in the mail. But do they work? A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration concluded that right-angle accidents dropped by 25% while rear-end crashes decreased by 15%.
