- David Hort
Millions of motorists ignore red lights
More than five million UK motorists have driven through a red light in the past month alone according to new data.
That means more than one in six motorists will flout the law each month, while a further two per cent of motorists will habitually drive through red lights.
It is illegal to pass through a red light in the UK, with penalties ranging from a maximum six points on a licence and a £1,000 fine. More common are three-point penalties and a £60 fine, but that isn’t enough to stop some motorists.
According to Direct Line Car Insurance, who carried out the survey, 278 red lights are run every minute - a number that should theoretically result in £721m in fines every month.
"Motorists who play Russian roulette at the traffic lights are putting their own and other road-users lives at risk. Motorists involved in an accident if they pass through a red light will automatically be deemed at fault for a collision.
"They could also face higher car insurance premiums at renewal if they have points on their licence," said Andy Goldby, a director at Direct Line.
"Red isn’t the only dangerous colour when it comes to traffic lights and ‘amber gamblers’ also put other motorists and road users at risk."
Derek Millard-Smith, an associate at law firm, Hill Dickinson, who specialises in driving law, notes:
“Most people think you can proceed on amber and often put their foot down to get past the stop line before it turns red; this is a common misconception and in my view is the reason many people receive fixed penalty notices but don't understand why or when they committed the offence."
“Enforcement Cameras at traffic lights give drivers the benefit of the doubt regarding the need to stop on amber, but are triggered by vehicles passing the stop line when the lights are red, so even if a very small part of the back of the vehicle is the wrong side of the stop line, even a tow bar, the camera will record the offence," says Millard-Smith.
The law says drivers should stop when traffic lights turn to amber, unless it is unsafe to do so. However four per cent of UK motorists admitted to putting their foot down when seeing the amber light.
Almost one in ten motorists admitted to maintaining their speed rather than slow down when lights turn to amber, whilst 1.5 million admitting to getting a thrill when driving through on amber or red.
Taking the opposite approach of braking heavily when a light turns to amber can put motorists at risk of being rear-ended by drivers trying to beat the red light.
The highest proportion of light-running motorists can be found in the West Midlands, where one in five motorists admitted to passing through a red light.
The most patient drivers in the UK are found in the East - where just one in ten admitted to crossing the line on red.