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Red Light Violations Major Factor in Accidents in California

Every year, thousands of people are killed or seriously injured in accidents caused because one of the drivers ran the red light.  The week from 1 August to 7 August, is being marked as National Stop on Red week around the country. This is an attempt to decrease the number of red light violations in California.

California too, will mark its own version of National Stop on Red week around the state.  For instance, the city of Santa Maria, has announced that it will participate in the commemoration.  This will include education programs to make drivers aware about the danger of running through red lights.  According to Santa Maria police, in the first six months of 2010, there were 23 accidents caused because motorists ran through red lights.  These resulted in 13 injuries.  Across California, the situation is not much different.  Motorists ignoring red lights is a common phenomenon across the state.  According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, 883 people died in car accidents caused by motorists running red lights.  These left a total of 165,000 people injured.

The National Safety Council has also announced its support for the National Stop on Red week.  There are a number of reasons why motorists may run red lights.  Very often, motorists who are in a hurry to get somewhere, tend to disobey traffic rules.  Suspects in a police chase are not likely to stop at every traffic light they come across.  However, many red light violations occur because motorists are too distracted to notice the signal.  For instance, a motorist who is talking on a cell phone or text messaging on his cell phone, is much less likely to notice a red light ahead.  According to the National Safety Council, that’s because our brains are not wired to perform to two cognitively complex tasks at the same time.

No matter how experienced a driver you are, driving is a complex task, and it can rarely be combined with having a conversation or a cell phone.  Experienced drivers can get into accidents when they use a cell phone.  That’s because when the brain is busy with another activity, like talking on the cell phone, it can’t process minute cues, like traffic lights.  Most of the distraction that comes from using a cell phone comes because the mind is engaged in the conversation.  When you’re talking on a cell phone with friends or loved ones, you are imagining the conversation and the person you are talking to, in your mind.  This takes your attention away from the road, traffic, signals and other vehicles around.  As a result, motorists are less likely to notice vital cues in their environment.

California car accident lawyers would like to see more awareness and education about the dangers of running through red lights.  This is one of the traffic infractions that many people seem to think is minor, especially when they drive after dark.  The truth is that these contribute to thousands of deaths every year.

Please visit our website at http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us at contact@robertreeveslaw.com.

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