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(ARA) - While most people associate fatal auto crashes with speeding or drunk driving, making a trip to the grocery store could prove just as, if not more, treacherous. A new survey conducted by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies showed more than 36 percent of motorists admitted to running a red light in the past year -- an offense that is the leading cause of crashes in urban areas.
Most of the time nothing bad happens, but statistics gathered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show red light running crashes cause nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 200,000 injuries each year. Red light running is defined as a motorist deliberately entering an intersection after the signal light has turned red. According to Farmers, the problem is then exacerbated because generally when people go through a red light, they accelerate to move through the intersection faster before the traffic in the other direction begins -- this impulse to drive faster through the intersection does not allow for a proper reaction time.
“I wish people would stop to think about what could happen if they run a red light rather than worrying so much about getting to their destination quicker,” says Rebecca Anderson of Minneapolis, Minn. She was nearly killed by a red light runner in October of 1996, just days after her honeymoon. “My husband and I were driving across State Road 70 in Central Florida and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our Honda Civic was no match for the late model Buick that came flying into the intersection and slammed into my side of the car,” says Anderson.
She spent three months in the hospital recovering from a subdural hematoma (a blood clot that occurs on the surface of the brain), retinal detachment, collapsed lung, ten fractured ribs, a broken collarbone and a fractured pelvis. “I’m told the head injury was the result of the velocity at the time of impact. Most of my broken bones were caused by the seatbelt,” she says. “Without it, I probably would have been ejected and died.” Her husband, who was driving, walked away with just a few cuts and scratches. The woman who hit them was not hurt.
“Most of the people injured and killed in these type of crashes are the innocent victims -- pedestrians and other motorists,” says Jeff Beyer, senior vice-president and chief communications officer for Farmers Insurance Group. “Drivers must always ask themselves if the few seconds they might save by running a red light are worth the risk of injuring, or even killing, someone.”
Even though nearly nine years have passed, Anderson still thinks about the crash she was in every day. “I can’t help but think about it because I lost the sight in my right eye and have a numb leg as a result of the accident,” she says. “Because I know what can happen, every time I see someone run a red light I cringe. Fortunately, I haven’t had to witness any accidents.”
The survey results were gathered from a random written survey of driving habits that Farmers conducted last year. Approximately 1,000 drivers took part.
The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property and Casualty insurance group. Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, the insurers comprising the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households through 17,000 exclusive and independent agents and district managers. For more information about Farmers, visit their Web site: www.farmers.com. Courtesy of ARA Content