Not only does running a red light increase the potential of causing a vehicle accident, it is often more likely than not to end with catastrophic injuries or death. Sadly, most red light accident injuries and fatalities in Rhode Island are caused by the reckless or careless actions of those who intentionally or unintentionally run the light. The highest incident rate of red light running tends to occur during daylight hours.
Rhode Island traffic signal / red light car accident
Running a red light continues to be a major issue to roadway safety, especially at intersections and crosswalks. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that running a red light is a leading cause of city accidents, resulting in death of tens of thousands of individuals every year. Studies indicate that “being in a hurry” is the most popular excuse drivers give when cited for running a red light that caused an accident.
Red light accidents and car crashes at yellow lights are significant safety concerns on the road. These accidents can result in injuries and, in some cases, fatalities. Here’s some information about these types of accidents:
- Red Light Accidents:
- Causes: Red light accidents typically occur when a driver disregards a red traffic signal and enters an intersection when they should have stopped. This can happen due to various reasons, including distracted driving, speeding, impaired driving, or simply not paying attention to traffic signals.
- Injuries: These accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, from minor to severe, depending on the speed and angle of the collision. Common injuries include whiplash, broken bones, head injuries, and soft tissue injuries.
- Fatalities: Red light accidents can also lead to fatalities, especially when vehicles collide at high speeds or when pedestrians or cyclists are involved. These accidents can have devastating consequences for the victims and their families.
- Yellow Light Car Crash Injuries:
- Yellow Light Meaning: In many traffic systems, a yellow light is used as a warning that the signal is about to turn red. Drivers are supposed to slow down and prepare to stop if it’s safe to do so.
- Car Crash at Yellow Light: Car crashes at yellow lights can happen when drivers misjudge the timing of the signal or attempt to speed through the intersection before the light turns red.
- Injuries: Injuries resulting from yellow light crashes can be similar to those in red light accidents, as they often involve intersection collisions. The severity of injuries depends on factors like the speed of the vehicles involved and the point of impact.
To reduce the risk of these types of accidents, it’s essential for drivers to:
- Always obey traffic signals and signals.
- Be aware of the meaning and purpose of yellow lights.
- Avoid distractions while driving.
- Adhere to speed limits and drive at safe speeds for road and weather conditions.
- Use defensive driving techniques to anticipate the actions of other drivers.
In both cases, if you or someone you know is involved in such an accident, it’s crucial to seek medical attention and legal advice, if necessary. Additionally, traffic enforcement and public awareness campaigns play a role in preventing these accidents and improving road safety.
Why Red Light Accidents Occur in Scituate, Smithfield and Woonsocket Rhode Island
Many populated areas install intersection lights as a way to ease commuter congestion and increase traffic flow often bogged down by blinking lights and four-way stops. However, the installation of a light system is not always effective for drivers tackling traffic jams in a hurry. In many cases of red light accidents, the driver was rushing when approaching a yellow light instead of slowing down because the light was about to change to red.
Running a red light in Rhode Island
Many red light runners cause Rhode Island accidents because they were distracted or inattentive and not focusing on the roadway. Distracted drivers in RI are often busy doing a variety of other things inside the vehicle including:
• Speaking on cell phones or texting
• Reading emails on smart phones
• Adjusting radio settings
• Gathering information from the GPS navigation system
• Drinking beverages or consuming food
• Grooming or applying makeup
• Speaking to others in the vehicle
• Searching for objects out of reach
• Driving impaired by fatigue, alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medication
There are some situations where no driver is actually at fault for a collision at an intersection. This can hypothetically occur when the traffic light system is operating improperly by simultaneously providing a green light to drivers traveling in both directions.
Filing a Claim for Compensation as a result of a Providence, East Providence, Woonsocket or Pawtucket Car accident In large metropolitan areas, many communities have equipped major intersections with cameras to record moving traffic as a way to control the system and ease congestion. However, these cameras also capture which drivers are fault at the time of a red light accident. The video record provides valuable evidence when seeking compensation for an injury caused by a driver running a red light. Because of that, many victims will hire a Rhode Island personal injury attorney who specializes in red light accidents to obtain compensation to pay for a variety of expenses including:
• Hospitalization, emergency services and medical care costs associated with the injury
• Financial compensation to recover funds lost from time away at work due to injury suffered in the accident
• Funds for intangible harm including pain, suffering, mental anxiety and emotional distress of dealing with injuries or death associated with the accident
• Compensation for property damage including car replacement or repair
Hiring a RI auto accident Attorney
Under the state’s tort law, red light accidents are often fact intensive, complex cases and often require the skills of a reputable Providence or Central Falls car accident lawyer with extensive experience. Personal injury law firms in RI accept these types of accident cases on contingency to avoid the need for the victim to pay upfront fees.
The RI law firm can recover damages and losses caused by the negligent action of a reckless driver traveling through a red light. All lawsuits and claims for compensation must be submitted to the court before the state’s statute of limitations concerning the case expires.
There are a wide variety of traffic laws across the entirety of the United States. It can sometimes be hard to keep track of all the violations that can be incurred from running a specific light, driving even a few miles over the speed limit, or turning from the wrong lane. These are all pretty basic driving infractions, of course, but some are not so black and white. Take, for example, the yellow light violation. In some areas, depending on how the ticketing police officer is feeling that particular day, you could technically receive a ticket for running a yellow light. The officer in question may argue that the yellow light means to stop.
Failing to obey a traffic control device
The technical identification for failing to obey a traffic control device is known as a 21450 in the state of California, for example. This will incur a penalty in the eyes of the law, so be warned. The code stands for:
• (1) A person commits the offense of driver failure to obey traffic control device if the person drives a vehicle and the person does any of the following:
• (a) Fails to obey the directions of any traffic control device.
• (b) Fails to obey any specific traffic control device describes in ORS 811.260 in the manner required by that section.
• (2) A person is not subject to this section if the person is doing any of the following:
• (a) Following the directions of a police officer.
• (b) Driving an emergency vehicle or ambulance in accordance with the privileges granted those vehicles.
• (c) Properly executing a turn on a red light as authorized under 811.360.
• (d) Driving in a funeral procession led by a funeral lead vehicle or under the direction of the driver of a funeral escort vehicle.
There are a few circumstances where driving through a “stale” yellow light, meaning a yellow light that is about to turn red, would be allowed. According to the folks at ExpertLaw, “Your testimony will have to include a VALID reason as to WHY it would have been unsafe for you to try to stop.” In this case, driving through the light safely and cautiously is allowed. This is okay when you are already in the intersection or during periods of wet roads due to weather.
Yellow light violation
A yellow light violation is a picky topic that truly varies district by district. If you’re unsure of your city’s traffic violations, speak with a local officer or sheriff’s department.
“(CNN)This wasn’t the kind of emergency Joleen McDonald had in mind when she taught her 6-year-old son, Robbie, to dial 911. When Robbie took a ride with his dad and saw him drive past a red light, he did what he thought was the right thing to do: He called the cops. “My daddy went past a red light,” Robbie said in a 911 call the Quincy Police Department in Massachusetts posted. “It was in the brand new car — my mommy’s car. We had to go to the car wash and then we went past the red light.” CNN
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