Drivers running red lights are a growing problem in the United States, resulting in increased fatalities and injuries. Red-light runners w...
Drivers running red lights are a growing problem in the United States, resulting in increased fatalities and injuries. Red-light runners were responsible for 846 fatalities in 2018 and an estimated 139,000 injuries, representing an approximate 25% increase since 2012.
Running red lights is an increasing public safety problem. The problem is often not taken seriously by the offenders. A poll found that even though 85% of respondents identified running a red light as “very dangerous,” nearly one-third of the respondents reported running a red light in the past month. The same poll also noted that another 40% do not believe the police will stop them from running a red light.
What Is Red Light Running?
Red-light running occurs whenever a vehicle enters an intersection after the light turns red. For example:
- A driver that speeds up to “beat” the light
- A driver who fails to come to a complete stop when turning right on red (assuming right on red is permitted at the intersection)
Red-light running does not include motorists who are waiting in the intersection to make an unprotected left turn.
Who Is Running Red Lights?
A 2018 study found that most red-light runners are young, male, and usually have prior alcohol-related charges or have been in serious car crashes. Often, red-light running that results in a car accident yields a driver with alcohol or drugs in his or her system. An intersection in Virginia had a red light runner about every twenty minutes.
Reducing Red Light Running
There are ways for authorities can reduce red-light running and, subsequently, reduce the prevalence of related accidents.
Making the Duration of Yellow Lights Longer
Adequate yellow signal time can significantly reduce the rate of red-light running. Yellow light transitions tell drivers to speed up or slow down depending on the vehicle's velocity. Longer transition times enable drivers more time to make these judgments. A study by the Institute of Transportation Engineers found that increasing the duration of yellow light transitions reduces the red-light running rate by up to 36%.
Adding Red Light Cameras
While reducing red-light running by 36% is impressive, the same study found that adding red light cameras reduces violations by an additional 96%. Red-light cameras automatically photograph cars that go through the intersection. The cameras are connected to traffic flow information, which allows them to photograph every car that fails to stop during the red light phase.
The camera then sends the photos to the police or a review agency that determines whether or not a violation occurred and issues a ticket. The tickets are generally treated as civil violations, meaning they don’t add points to the driver’s license and shouldn’t adversely affect the driver’s insurance. Some states, including Oregon, Arizona, and California, treat red light camera violations the same as moving violations issued by police officers.
Civil Liability: Per Se Legal Proof
Red-light runners are liable for civil damages. When a driver causes personal injury, he or she is liable for those injuries. This area of law is known as “tort” liability. Ordinarily, the plaintiff must prove four factors to win the case: (1) the defendant owed the claimant a duty, (2) the defendant breached that duty, and (3) the defendant’s actions caused (4) the plaintiff harm.
However, when the defendant breaks the law (i.e., causes a criminal act), he or she may be subject to negligence per se liability. Per see liability means the plaintiff only needs to prove that the defendant (1) violated a statute (2) that was designed to prevent the type of injury plaintiff suffered and (3) plaintiff is a person the law was meant to protect.
Every state has a law that prohibits running red lights; therefore, red-light runners are subject to per se liability if they cause injury. It is generally easier to win an injury case under per se liability than in traditional tort negligence.
