Running a red light is against the law, and most drivers in Wisconsin acknowledge this. In a AAA survey, 85% of respondents agreed that this is a dangerous offense. Yet one in three drivers confessed that they ran a red light in the last 30 days when it could have been safe to stop. Two in five said they are not too worried about being caught by the police.
Partly because of distractions and partly because of this risk-taking attitude among drivers, the number of fatalities that arise from red light-running crashes has reached a 10-year high. The AAA found that 939 people died in 2017. This number represented a 28% increase from the relative low reported in 2012.
The number of traffic deaths overall has seen a slight decrease over the years. Around 40,000 people died in auto accidents in 2018, according to the National Safety Council, which is a 1% decline from 2017. The leading causes of crashes are speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving. All of these can easily be factors in red light-running crashes.
There’s one way to deter drivers from running red lights, and it’s to install cameras at the most dangerous intersections. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says these can lower the number of red light violations by 40%.
Drivers of any type of vehicle can be in auto accidents, including cars, motorcycles and trucks. What a person was riding in can affect how severely they were injured in the accident, but fortunately, those who are not to blame for their injuries may seek compensation through a third-party insurance claim. If successful, their claim might cover medical expenses, vehicle repair costs, the income they lost during their recovery and more. With legal guidance, the filing and negotiating process may go more smoothly.