ATS study claims distracted red-light running is on the rise

Analysis released during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month by American Traffic Solutions (ATS), Distracted on Red, showcases the dangers of distracted driving behaviour and impact on red-light running. ATS sampled data from 67 intersections with red-light safety cameras across the United States over a three-month period. Distractions were coded into several categories, including cell phone use, looking away, eyes closed, smoking, eating/drinking, reading and applying make-up. ATS data showed distr
April 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Analysis released during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month by 17 American Traffic Solutions (ATS), Distracted on Red, showcases the dangers of distracted driving behaviour and impact on red-light running.

ATS sampled data from 67 intersections with red-light safety cameras across the United States over a three-month period.

Distractions were coded into several categories, including cell phone use, looking away, eyes closed, smoking, eating/drinking, reading and applying make-up. ATS data showed distracted red-light running increased by 58 per cent from 2012 to 2015.

"Today, we live in a fast-paced world filled with all sorts of distractions. For drivers, distractions come in many forms ranging from cell phones to eating and drinking, to simply taking your eyes off the road to chat with a passenger," said ATS spokesperson Charles Territo. "Red-light running is an incredibly risky behaviour on its own, but when you add a distraction, the result can be deadly."

In 2014 alone, 3,129 were killed and 431,000 were injured in distracted driving crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Red-light running is still the leading cause of urban crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Enforcement

Related Content

  • November 7, 2014
    Houston Police: increase in crashes when red-light safety cameras removed
    A new report shows a 30 per cent increase in fatal traffic collisions and a 117 per cent increase in total traffic crashes at 51 intersections in Houston where red-light safety cameras once stood. New figures from the Houston Police Department released by the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) show total traffic collisions more than doubled from 4,147 in 2006-2010 when cameras were in use to 8,984 in 2010-2014, when cameras were not in operation. The city ended its red-light safety camera program
    Read More
  • April 7, 2014
    US launches distracted driving campaign
    Launching National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the Department of Transportation's first-ever national advertising campaign and law enforcement crackdown to combat distracted driving. As part of the effort, television, radio and digital advertisements using the phrase U Drive, U Text, U Pay will run from 7-15 April, which coincides with a nationwide law enforcement crackdown in states with distracted driving bans.
    Read More
  • June 5, 2015
    The red light camera choice: 60 killed or save US$231 million a year
    David Crawford investigates new cost-benefit analysis of red light cameras. US states can now realistically calculate the economic benefits of using red light safety cameras, alone or in combination with other measures, to cut road traffic accident levels. The results could be of material value in making the case for the cameras as a number of state legislatures continue to debate their acceptability.
    Read More
  • November 5, 2012
    St Louis red light cameras changing driver behaviour
    According to a new analysis of the City of St. Louis' violator-funded red-light safety camera program carried out by safety camera supplier American Traffic Systems (ATS), drivers are adopting safer driving habits by stopping at red lights. As drivers comply with the law, the risk of dangerous red-light running collisions is reduced, and streets become safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. The study reviewed nearly 350,000 red-light running violations issued in the city from the time the program bega
    Read More

Highlighted Content