New Video Highlights Pedestrian and Cyclist Dangers of Red Light Running and Right-Turns-on-Red
Temp, AZ – As National Stop on Red Week approaches, American Traffic Solutions, the leading red-light safety camera provider in North America, would like to remind all drivers of the importance of stopping on red, and making right-turns-on-red in compliance with the traffic laws in their state, for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. This new video highlights the dangers that bicyclists and pedestrians face every day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uvDVNUA3dg
Right-turns-on-red have always been associated with danger, especially to pedestrians who are the most vulnerable in this type of collision. The latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures shows more than 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2010 occurred at or within 50 feet of an intersection. That’s more than 850 deaths.
When a vehicle and a pedestrian collide, the pedestrian is 10 times more likely to die than the vehicle’s occupant. This is why motorists are required to come to a complete stop on red before turning right.
Unsafe driver behavior in the presence of pedestrians was measured at a Miami intersection with an average daily traffic count of 39,000 vehicles. Despite a sign that forbade drivers from turning right on red when pedestrians are in the crosswalk, 34 percent of drivers turned when pedestrians were in the crosswalk and 90 percent of drivers did so when pedestrians were present at the curb. A total of 71 percent of violators did not stop or made a rolling stop, according to the 2009 study published by the Federal Highway Administration.
Communities gain safer roads when drivers remember to look for pedestrians and bicyclists before turning right on red. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, erratic and limited compliance with traffic signs and signals are among the contributing factors in pedestrian-vehicle crashes. Studies show red-light safety cameras improve drivers’ compliance with traffic laws, minimizing the danger to pedestrians. Camera technology is an enforcement tool that permits authorities to issue traffic violations based on photographic and video evidence that can be reviewed multiple times to ensure accuracy.
ATS encourages all drivers to practice safe driving especially at intersections. The Federal Highway Administration in 2010 reported that pedestrian crashes are predicted to increase in cities during the next 15 years, making driver awareness more important than ever before.
The video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uvDVNUA3dg
About American Traffic Solutions:
ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATS has more than 3,200 installed red-light and speed safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATS has contracts in nearly 300 communities in 21 states and Washington, D.C., including: Fort Worth, Kansas City, Memphis, Nassau County (N.Y.), New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Louis. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com.
Contact: Charles Territo
Title: Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
and Marketing, Communications
Phone: (480) 443-7000
Email: media@atsol.com
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