Memorial Day is fast approaching, and many people are planning holiday weekend getaways. However, a new study that is just out warns of the special car accident danger posed to drivers on this upcoming holiday weekend. The study released this week by the National Coalition for Safer Roads indicates that the number of drivers that ran red lights on Memorial Day weekend last year was 27 percent higher than on non-holiday weekends.
The president of the organization that conducted the study, David Kelley, is the former acting administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He indicates that Memorial Day weekend is the most dangerous driving weekend because drivers are in a rush to get to their destination. Anxious drivers are hesitant to stop at red lights because they fear that they will be stuck waiting for bicyclists or pedestrians that are out in force during the long weekend.
Despite the overwhelming danger posed by motorists that blow through red lights at intersections, the study data suggests that 1.2 drivers per second run red lights. The danger of running a red light is substantial with 130,000 people being injured and nearly 670 being killed by red light runners in a typical year. Many red light collisions cause catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries and other life-altering injuries because red light intersection accidents frequently result in dangerous head-on or side impact (T-bone) collisions.
The most common causes of red light running accidents include:
- Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Distracted drivers not paying attention to the traffic light
- Approaching an intersection at too high a rate of speed to react to the light change
- Drivers rushing to make it through yellow lights
While a driver that runs a red light and causes a collision will typically be liable for resulting vehicle damage, injuries and loss of life, the other driver’s insurance company will frequently argue that their insured did not run a red light. The insurance company for a driver that runs a red light will typically try to shift blame for the accident to you. We carefully investigate red light accidents at intersections so that we can develop proof to establish the fault of the other driver. Our law firm may have crash reconstruction experts examine the accident scene, review any video footage from surveillance cameras, analyze the police report, interview witnesses and engage in other investigation procedures to establish a persuasive position for negotiations and trial.
Contact Us For A Free Initial Consultation
If you or someone you love is injured or a loved one dies because a driver runs a red light and collides with your vehicle, our auto accident attorneys in San Francisco invite you to contact us as soon as possible because critical deadlines apply. The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman offers a free initial consultation so that we can assess your case. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.