Skip to main content

New report reveals red-light running data and trends across 20 states

More than 3.5 million drivers in 20 US states ran a red light in 2013, according to the second biannual Safer Roads Report 2014: Trends in Red-Light Running from the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR). The report, released today, examines red-light running trends across 20 states and is designed to help raise driver awareness of the dangers of red-light running. The risks of red-light running are clear: intersection-related vehicle accidents caused more than 8,500 causalities in 2011 – the most r
May 22, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
More than 3.5 million drivers in 20 US states ran a red light in 2013, according to the second biannual Safer Roads Report 2014: Trends in Red-Light Running from the 5755 National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR).

The report, released today, examines red-light running trends across 20 states and is designed to help raise driver awareness of the dangers of red-light running. The risks of red-light running are clear: intersection-related vehicle accidents caused more than 8,500 causalities in 2011 – the most recent year for which data is available – according to the 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NCSR's report analysed red-light running data collected from 2,216 red-light safety cameras across 202 areas in 20 states.

Report highlights include: Memorial Day weekend was the highest ranked holiday travel period, with 39,021 red-light running violations in 2013; Halloween had the lowest number of red-light running violations in 2013, with 28,902 total ; Friday proved to be the worst day for intersection safety in 2013 — safety cameras caught 570,151 total red-light running violations — while Sunday saw the fewest violations, with 439,323 total; Drivers most frequently ran red lights in the afternoon, with 30.07 percent (1,070,572) of all red-light running violations in 2013 occurring from 1 pm to 5 pm.

"By highlighting the data and trends around red-light running, we hope to educate the public on the dangers of running red lights," said David Kelly, executive director, NCSR, and Former Acting Administrator of NHTSA. "The information in the report reveals when we are most vulnerable on the road and reminds everyone to stay alert and safe near intersections."

Related Content

  • US launches distracted driving campaign
    April 7, 2014
    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.
  • In-vehicle automation of safety compliance and other traffic violations
    January 24, 2012
    David Crawford explores new initiatives in enforcement. Achieving the EU’s new road safety target of reducing road traffic deaths by 50 per cent by 2020 depends on removing legal and institutional barriers to the deployment of new enforcement technologies, stresses Jan Malenstein. The senior ITS Adviser to Dutch National Police Agency the KLPD, and a European-level spokesperson on road and traffic safety, points to the importance of, among other requirements, an effective EUwide type approval process for fr
  • Low-costs solutions to improve pedestrian safety
    May 8, 2015
    David Crawford welcomes low-cost safety initiatives for pedestrians in America. Some 10 people die each week in accidents on crosswalks in the US, that’s more than 10% of all pedestrian fatalities in road traffic incidents - the number of which is running at a five-year high. Ensuring crosswalks are safe is key in supporting the growing enthusiasm for walking as a travel mode. In the last decade of the 20th century, numbers walking to work in the US fell by 26%; while, as recently as 2012, Americans were e
  • AI detects 9,000 run red lights in Latvia
    February 24, 2022
    Traffic monitoring prototype from LMT saves number plate in system for violations processing