Traffic FactsAlso includes fatality statistics
General Facts
- Motorists are more likely to be injured in urban crashes involving red light running than in any other type of motor vehicle accident.
- A study of 5 busy intersections prior to the installation of red light cameras showed that, on average, a motorist ran a red light every 20 minutes.
- It is estimated that the economic cost to society of speed related crashes is more than $40 billion each year.
- It has been shown that within 6 months of the installation of speed cameras average speeds declined 14% and the incidence of vehicles that exceeded the speed limit by more than 10 mph declined 82%.
- Speed limit enforcement cameras have been used for more than 30 years in countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
- In the United States speed limit enforcement cameras are currently in use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina. Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia.
- Photo enforcement has been in use in the U.S. for more than 10 years.
- A review of international red light camera studies revealed that cameras reduced red light violations by 40-50% and injury in crashes by 25-30%.
- Red light cameras are currently authorized in approximately 50% of the United States.
- A 2002 Gallup poll found that 75% of drivers nationwide favored the use of red light cameras.
- One recent red light camera study found a reduction of 68% in front-to-side impact injury crashes-the kind closely associated with red light running.
Fatality Statistics
- A nationwide study of fatal crashes at traffic signals in 1999 and 2000 estimated that 20% of the drivers involved failed to obey those signals.
- Fatal crashes rose by 19% from 2004 to 2005.
- 43,443 people died in 39,189 motor vehicle crashes in 2005, the most recent year for which data are available.
- In 2005, 72% of motor vehicle fatalities were passenger vehicle occupants, 11% were pedestrians, 10% were motorcyclists, 2% were bicyclists, and 2% were occupants of large trucks.
- In 2005, more than 800 people were killed and an estimated 165,000 were injured in accidents that involved red light running.
- In 2005, more than 13,000 people died in speed-related crashes.
- Speeding is a factor in 30% of all fatal crashes, killing more than 1,000 Americans every month.