Running a Red Light Can Take a Life

10 Reasons to Stop on Red

August 2-8 was National Stop on Red Week, but safety and responsibility are important year-round. Drivers must continue the lessons of Stop on Red Week every day, every time they get behind the wheel.

Created by the Federal Highway Administration, National Stop on Red Week aims to educate drivers about the dangers of red-light running and to reduce the number and severity of crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that motorists in urban areas are more likely to be injured in crashes involving red-light running than in any other type of crash. In 2018, 846 people were killed, and an estimated 139,000 were injured in crashes that involved red-light running. About half of those killed in red-light crashes are pedestrians, cyclists and people other than the violator.

The U.S. Department of Transportation found that one in three Americans know someone who has been injured or killed in a red-light running crash.

Ford Driving Skills for Life would like to remind all drivers to ALWAYS STOP on RED.

TEN REASONS TO STOP ON RED

1. RED-LIGHT RUNNING CAN BE FATAL.
2. One in three Americans know someone who has been injured or killed in a red-light running crash.
3. Between 2004-2018, an estimated 11,877 people were killed in red-light running related crashes.
4. On average, two people died each day in red-light running crashes in the United States in 2018.
5. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
6. In 2018, 846 people were killed, and an estimated 139,000 were injured in crashes that involved red-light running.
7. Over half of the deaths in red-light running crashes are pedestrians, bicyclists and occupants in vehicles other than the vehicle running the red light.
8. Nearly 85% of drivers say it is unacceptable to go through red-lights, yet nearly 31% admitted to doing so in the past 30 days.
9. The most common type of urban crashes involve drivers who run red lights, stop signs and other traffic controls.
10. Red-light running is often a result of aggressive or distracted driving and is completely preventable.