Driving a car in Texas is a big responsibility. People need to understand the rules of the road, how to operate their vehicle and how to identify other potentially dangerous drivers. Additionally, drivers need to keep their full attention on driving thereby avoiding distractions like texting and driving, eating or socializing. When drivers don’t do all of these things, serious car accidents can occur.
One of the most serious types of car accidents occur when people driver through red lights. Red signals are supposed to tell drivers to stop and wait. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 93 percent of drivers agree that stopping at a red light is important. However, research shows that as many as one in three drivers have driven through a red light in the past month. In urban areas, a driver runs a red light every 20 minutes.
This behavior is not only risky, it’s downright deadly. During a recent 10-year period, 9,000 people in the United States died from accidents involving a driver running a red light. Running a red light is the most common type of urban car accident. Around 165,000 people — including pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists — suffer injuries each year because of someone running a red light. Every day, 1,000 people are injured because of drivers running a red light, and seven people are killed.
These car accidents are preventable. If drivers avoid speeding and pay attention to the road, they are more likely to stop at a red light. When the light turns green, drivers should also ensure that the intersection is clear before driving into it.
People who run red lights are risking criminal and civil penalties. Not only can the police bring charges against a person that causes an accident by failing to stop at a red light, accident victims can also bring a civil lawsuit. By bringing a personal injury suit, accident victims and their families can obtain compensation for the serious injuries they suffered at the hands of a negligent driver.
