Deaths caused by people plowing through red lights at a 10 year high

[brainhulk]

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/deaths-caused-drivers-running-red-040537274.html

the latest figures available, 939 people were killed by vehicles blowing through red lights, according to a AAA study of government crash data.

It's the highest death toll since 2008 and 28% higher than in 2012. AAA says two people are killed every day in the U.S. by drivers who don't stop for the signals.

AAA isn't sure why the numbers are on the rise or why they have increased at a far higher rate than overall U.S. roadway deaths. Since 2012 the overall number of highway fatalities rose 10%, far short of the 28% increase in red-light running deaths.

I know why, it's knuckleheads looking down at their cell phones.

 

[shortylickens]

red light runners have been getting worse every year in Virginia, and it was horrible 10 years ago.

 

[SKORPI0]

Potential Darwin Award for some of them. Are they distracted while driving or just think they can beat the red light?

 

[rh71]

I'd have to go with the cell phone reasoning too. There are more and more red light cameras so people should be more inclined to stop for them. Unless they aren't paying attention in the first place...

 

[Red Squirrel]

Despite how strict the distracted driving laws are it's crazy people still chance it. Let alone the obvious safety issue too. It's not just cell phones either that can get you charged, anything distracting like eating or putting on makeup etc.

 

[KB]

Potential Darwin Award for some of them. Are they distracted while driving or just think they can beat the red light?

Unfortunately its not the red light runner who is paying the price. "939 people were killed by vehicles blowing through red lights, " . Innocent drivers are T-boned by the red-light runners and killed.

Drinking and other factors have stayed constant. Only cell phone use has increased which would account for the increase.

 

[kage69]

"Devices Down" laws don't seem to be having much of an effect. I still see people looking down and txting while driving, almost daily. Going through work zones, intersections, doesn't matter.

I think if you're texting while driving it should be legal for others to turn your phone into a suppository. Partially kidding.

Next up: people who leave their cars in front of the store, in the lanes, when there is an empty parking lot 30ft away... they deserve something similar. Either get yourself a handicap tag or quit being a lazy, self centered douchebag.

 

[highland145]

"Devices Down" laws don't seem to be having much of an effect. I still see people looking down and txting while driving, almost daily. Going through work zones, intersections, doesn't matter.

Here, the law says the cop has to actually see your phone before he can stop you....

 

[Fritzo]

Distracted drivers....I'm betting they're going to find those screens on the infotainment systems in cars are contributing. You have to look at them when adjusting radio/climate/etc as there are no buttons to feel.

 

[rh71]

You guys saw this video? 18 year old deliberately blows through the light driving like a bat out of hell. Cyclist gets crushed by the car the guy hit. No cell phone here driving that fast - just a kid with a muscle car.

 

[clamum]

I wish I could plow something. Fml

 

[Red Squirrel]

Distracted drivers....I'm betting they're going to find those screens on the infotainment systems in cars are contributing. You have to look at them when adjusting radio/climate/etc as there are no buttons to feel.

I hate that concept, is that really the way all the cars are going now? It just makes no sense to not have buttons. Do those screens even work in -50s? And how do you adjust anything when wearing gloves? But even without taking winter into consideration I should not have to fiddle around with some touch interface to do basic things like adjust the AC or radio.

 

[Fritzo]

I hate that concept, is that really the way all the cars are going now? It just makes no sense to not have buttons. Do those screens even work in -50s? And how do you adjust anything when wearing gloves? But even without taking winter into consideration I should not have to fiddle around with some touch interface to do basic things like adjust the AC or radio.

Yep---it's cheaper to make a dynamic screen ran by software than custom designing buttons and control centers.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Probably just as many drunk drivers as well. I'll never understand texting and driving. It's one thing to do something like... Adjust your phone for GPS purposes.... but christ, don't most phones and/or cars have ways of speech to text and text to speech to be able to "text" while driving without using the phone by now?

 

[balloonshark]

If you aren't checking to your left and right before proceeding through a red light nowadays you're just begging to get hit. To me distracted driving is much more of a problem than drunk driving. I occasionally ride with a distracted driver that tailgates and they scare the hell of out me. Just knowing there are many people out there like her should change the way you think about driving.

 

[spacejamz]

those red light runners are not distracted by their screens...they are trying to take advantage of that one or two second delay the drivers with green light have before they start accelerating...

 

[brainhulk]

Until they have ai driving everyone around, maybe we can have cross traffic indicators at every intersection that will flash if a vehicle is approaching at a high rate of speed. It could be done with simple radar detectors right? Sometimes other vehicles can obstruct your view of cross traffic.

 

[spacejamz]

You guys saw this video? 18 year old deliberately blows through the light driving like a bat out of hell. Cyclist gets crushed by the car the guy hit. No cell phone here driving that fast - just a kid with a muscle car.

fuck that douche bag...at least he got the book thrown at his ass...

https://gothamist.com/news/driver-w...killed-brooklyn-cyclist-charged-with-felonies

The teenage driver who ran a red light in Brooklyn earlier this month and smashed into another car, which then struck and killed 52-year-old cyclist Jose Alzorriz, has been charged with eleven crimes, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Both of those charges are felonies.

 

[spacejamz]

Until they have ai driving everyone around, maybe we can have cross traffic indicators at every intersection that will flash if a vehicle is approaching at a high rate of speed. It could be done with simple radar detectors right? Sometimes other vehicles can obstruct your view of cross traffic.

many towns don't even have money to maintain the current infrastructure they have...where are there they gonna get the $$ to pay for this?

 

[Six]

I have a ton of dash cam footage of bad drivers over the years in SoCal. And it ain't people texting or checking their phones who are running red lights and stop signs. It's people who don't give a F about other people, because they're too good to wait for anything. It's always the same people day in and out at the same intersection. Some think they're so smart by making a right, immediate u-turn, and then a right to beat the red light.

I attribute that rise to a lack of law enforcement due to the great recession.