Running Red Lights & Stop Signs

Some of the most common car accidents occur when someone runs a red light or stop sign. Many of these car accidents occur in busy intersections when cars and trucks and SUVs are traveling high rates of speed, which makes the accidents much more serious and deadly.

If you have been hit by someone who ran a red light or stop sign, then there are certain steps that you must take in order to make sure you have a viable claim that can be presented to an insurance company or in court, if that becomes necessary.

Red Light and Stop Sign Car Accident Laws

These laws are meant to be followed by all drivers on roads. The most common reasons for drivers who run through red lights and blow through stop signs are the following:

• Drunk or driving while high
• Driving while texting
• Driving while drowsy or sleepy
• Driving while distracted, such as talking on a cell phone
• Sun glare on windshield
• Aggressive driving
• Speeding

Many times when someone runs a red light or drives through a stop sign, they accelerate and speed up faster so as to try to “beat” the light, usually while the light may still be a yellow but about to turn red. When someone tries to beat the yellow light before it turns red, they are likely to create an accident, especially if someone is coming from the opposite direction attempting to take a left through a busy intersection and that driver is also trying to “beat” the light. This is a dangerous combination and a common reason for accidents in intersections.

It is rare to be rear-ended or have a fender-bender when someone runs a red light or stop sign. Typically, in these kinds of accidents drivers are T-Boned, broadsided, or sideswiped by another car, and sometimes the car will fishtail, skid, or be pushed into oncoming traffic. These are high impact, high velocity crashes that can be very serious, even deadly.