Everyone knows that running red lights put drivers and other road users at risk. In spite of this, people run red lights all the time. To combat this, cities and even small towns have launched campaigns and installed traffic cameras. Unfortunately, people continue to run red lights in Pennsylvania.
One Penn Live article from 2019 reported that red-light running had climbed to a decade-long high. Every day, at least two people die in America because of someone running a red light. To make matters worse, more often than not, other drivers on the road pay the price.
Climbing death rate
In 2017, 939 people died from drivers running red lights. This number accounts for 28% of the 3,300 people who died at red lights. Almost half of these victims traveled in a vehicle that had the right of way. To add to this, bicyclists and pedestrians made up almost 6% of the deaths.
Pennsylvania’s performance
In Pennsylvania, specifically, 2017 saw a jump in red-light running deaths: from 21 to 31. The state also mirrored statistics showing that a significant portion of the victims died because of the negligence of someone else. The number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths, however, trended higher at 9%.
Pennsylvania campaign efforts
To address its growing problem, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation launched the Stop on Red campaign. It hoped to bring greater awareness to not just red light accidents, but also the dangers of distracted driving. In fact, another of its driver safety programs, Automated RedLight Enforcement, receives grant funding from violations at 30 intersections across the state.