Facts about red light running crashes

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Many of the car crashes that take place in Massachusetts happen at intersections when drivers fail to stop at a red light. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 762 people died in red light running accidents across the United States in 2008. In addition to the fatalities, about 165,000 people are injured in red light running accidents each year. Intersections can be dangerous places even when drivers stop at red lights. In 2008, there were a total of 2.3 million intersection-related accidents involving red light running and other factors. The intersection-related accidents that year caused a total of 7,770 deaths and about 733,000 injuries. Some intersections are equipped with automated cameras to help enforce traffic light compliance. Red light running is a well known road hazard that 97 percent of drivers feel is a major threat to their safety, according to a survey by the NHTSA. Another survey that was conducted by Old Dominion University found that one-third of the people who were surveyed personally knew of someone who had sustained injuries or died in a red light running crash. When a person is injured because a driver failed to stop at a red light, the injured victim may want to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver seeking compensation for the losses that have been sustained. An attorney can assist a motor vehicle accident victim in gathering any supporting evidence that may exist from the accident scene such as surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony and the police investigation report in order to demonstrate that the motorist was negligent.