Intersections are one of the most dangerous places anyone can drive. They result in the majority of serious car accidents, meaning those leading to injuries or fatalities. A lot of these accidents happen simply because drivers run red lights.
But why do they do it? It’s such an easy mistake to avoid, but people are clearly making it fairly often – some sources claim a driver runs a red light every 20 minutes. Below are some potential reasons why.
Drunk driving
In many cases, drivers who run stop signs are just impaired. This could alter their judgment so that they decide to intentionally run the stop sign, or it could mean that they just don’t see the sign at all. A driver who has blacked out may have no memory of the entire drive.
Distracted driving
Distraction causes drivers to miss all sorts of important details on the road around them. Some drivers will try to text by glancing up the road every few seconds and then looking back down at the phone screen. But they may not be checking frequently enough to see a stop sign, so they could run it before they even realize they’ve made a mistake.
Dangerous driving habits
Finally, some people just have dangerous habits. For instance, some drivers will run stop signs to save time if they don’t see any other vehicles at the intersection. But all it takes is one oversight for that driver to cause a serious crash.
Have you been injured by a negligent driver? If you have, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for lost wages, medical bills and other costs relating to that accident.