Risky driving behaviour comes in many forms. Could be drink or drug related, distracted by smartphones or engaging in street racing on Fridays after a challenge from a fellow Audi driver with tinted windows and a boombastic speaker system in the boot. But then again, simple stuff like running red lights can also lead to collisins – and insurance claims.
So this data is worth noting, although the raw stats come from the Home Office and as the Post Office/Horison scandal shows, data cannot always be trusted. Also balancing red light running vs local population figures isn’t the whole story, since arterial roads used by commuters is probably a more useful overlay.
Here’s the word;
A new study has revealed the UK areas most likely to run a red light, with Westminster taking the top spot.
Personal injury experts at Claims.co.uk analysed data from the Home Office on the number of road collisions caused by drivers disobeying an automatic traffic signal in 2022; the figures were compared to the population to determine the final ranking.
Westminster ranks at the top, with 12.30 road collisions per 100,000 people. The City of Westminster reported 26 collisions due to ignoring a traffic light in 2022 – this being the greatest number among the top ten.
Coming in second is Doncaster, with 9.11 crashes for every 100,000 individuals. In 2022, the city experienced a total of 10 collisions caused by drivers disregarding a traffic signal. Third in the ranking is Bradford, with 25 road collisions throughout the year – the second highest amount among the top ten. Against the population, that equates to 8.52 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants.
Wolverhampton places fourth, with 6.77 traffic collisions per 100,000 people. Wolverhampton had 17 collisions due to drivers disobeying a traffic signal in 2022. In fifth comes Southampton, with 6.27 crashes for every 100,000 people. The city reported 17 road collisions caused by drivers ignoring a traffic light. Kensington and Chelsea comes in sixth, with nine incidents during the year. Weighed against the population, this is equal to 6.16 crashes per 100,000 individuals.
Seventh on the list is Bournemouth, with 5.87 road collisions for every 100,000 inhabitants. The town reported 11 collisions caused by drivers disregarding a traffic signal in 2022. In eighth place is Swindon, with 5.85 crashes per 100,000 residents. Swindon witnessed 13 traffic collisions throughout the year due to ignoring a traffic light.
Southwark ranks ninth, with 18 collisions in 2022 caused by drivers disobeying a traffic signal. Against the population, that equates to 5.77 accidents per 100,000 people. Landing the tenth spot is Tower Hamlets, with 5.53 road collisions for every 100,000 individuals. The borough experienced 18 traffic accidents during the year due to drivers disregarding a traffic signal.
A spokesperson for Claims.co.uk commented on the findings: “It’s interesting to discover that four out of the leading ten areas are based in London. This suggests that driving instructors in the city perhaps need to emphasise the importance of traffic lights and the dangers that can occur by disobeying them.
“However, regardless of where drivers are located, it’s crucial that all citizens stop at red lights to ensure safety on the roads. Failing to do so doesn’t only impose risk to yourself, but also to other drivers.”
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