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

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Iteris tackles scourge of red light crashes
    September 19, 2022
    A 2019 AAA survey reported that 31% of drivers admitted to running a red light within the last 30 days. When vehicles dangerously accelerate upon approaching a stable green signal, what if you could hold the opposing traffic’s red light until the offending vehicle was safely through the intersection? Now you can.
    Read More
  • New South Wales study indicates lower speed zones reduce deaths
    July 4, 2017
    A new study into 40km/h speed zones in New South Wales, Australia indicates they are reducing deaths and injuries in high pedestrian and traffic areas.
    Read More
  • NTSB calls for immediate action on collision avoidance systems for vehicles
    June 12, 2015
    A report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) outlines the life-saving benefits of currently available collision avoidance systems and recommends that the technology become standard on all new passenger and commercial vehicles. The report, The Use of Forward Collision Avoidance Systems to Prevent and Mitigate Rear-End Crashes, stresses that collision avoidance systems can prevent or lessen the severity of rear-end crashes, thus saving lives and reducing injuries. According to statistics fro
    Read More
  • New research says anti-drunk driving campaigns should include pedestrians, cyclists
    April 13, 2017
    State Highway Safety Offices and their partners should broaden their anti-drunk driving campaigns to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to consider safer transportation alternatives after heavy drinking. The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has reported that the ratios of fatally injured alcohol-impaired bicyclists and pedestrians has not fallen as dramatically as the proportion of impaired motor vehicle drivers killed and this remains a significant problem. In fact more than one-third o
    Read More

Highlighted Content