PHOENIX — Red-light running is a problem in the Valley, killing and injuring drivers every year.
To reduce your risk of being caught in a red-light crash, the City of Phoenix and the University of Arizona are working together on a new study.
It's looking at lengthening the amount of time yellow lights run at intersections around the Valley. Researchers hope to decrease red-light runners after sifting through the data.
From 2014 to 2020, there were 113 deaths and more than 9,300 injuries in the Phoenix Metro area because of red-light runners, according to AAA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In 2020, there were 928 deaths nationwide.
Here’s how this new Phoenix traffic study works. Phoenix and the University of Arizona added sensors to 12 intersections. They’re watching when cars go through yellow and red lights and collecting crash data.
Initial study results show red-light running dropped when those yellow lights were lengthened at three of the intersections. But the study is not finished yet.
It’s expected to wrap up in February when the findings will be presented. The group also plans to participate in a national pooled study.
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