Red light running is a serious problem in Alaska, causing life-changing crashes and serious auto accident injuries.
According to the Alaska Highway Safety Office, as many as 245 crashes, 190 injuries, and a pair of fatalities occurred in 2006 in red light running accidents. From 2000-2006, auto accidents at traffic lights rose 30.3 percent, faster than any other type of Alaska crash. [The linked document provides statistics updated in 2011.]
In the U.S., public costs for red light running exceed $14 billion per year.
In Alaska, the cost of red light running extends far beyond finances. Half of the deaths in red light running are other motorists and pedestrians, demonstrating the incredible danger these careless drivers put others in when ignoring traffic signals.
One major problem we see is the failure to slow down, or at least show caution, when a light changes to yellow. To many drivers, yellow has come to mean “hurry up” instead of the intended “slow down.”
As an auto accident injury attorney in Anchorage, Alaska, I see the painful results of red light running on a frequent basis. These crashes do not typically end well, leaving at least one, if not both, drivers seriously injured.
If you are a driver in Anchorage or anywhere across the Last Frontier, please pay attention to traffic lights and follow their instruction. When the light changes from green to yellow, do not hit the gas to beat the light—that extra minute saved is not worth the risk of injuring yourself and others.
If you have been injured in an auto accident attributed to red light running, contact an experienced Anchorage auto accident injury attorney for the help you need.
Photo Credit: theqspeaks via Compfight cc
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