HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Police in Howard County, Maryland are showing drivers how dangerous running red lights can be. The department shared a shocking compilation video on social media that shows drivers running red lights across Howard County over the past year.
"Please, don't drive distracted or impatiently, and stop on red," the police department said in the caption of the video.
Howard County authorities shared the video as part of National Stop on Red Week. According to the National Coalition for Safer Roads, more than 4.6 million drivers ran red lights in 2023 compared to 4.2 million in 2021.
The Federal Highway Administration says running red lights is the most common cause of urban crashes in the U.S. On average a driver runs a red light every 20 minutes at urban intersections. Over the last decade, red-light-running crashes have killed nearly 9,000 people, the FHA says.
The organizations behind National Stop on Red Week will remind drivers to be safe behind the wheel, and cut down on red-light running overall.