More than two people are killed every day on U.S. roads by drivers blowing through red lights, according to data analysis performed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and Arizona is one of the worst.

The report shows Arizona again has the highest rate of red-light running fatalities per capita in the nation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put the number at 7.1 deaths per 100,000.

Though the most recent AAA data is from 2017, it is a 10-year high. In Arizona from 2008 to 2017, 352 people were killed in collisions caused by red-light running.

Nearly half of all deaths were occupants of a vehicle hit by the person running the red light. Of those 352 deaths, 119 people killed (33.8 percent) were the red-light running driver, 49 people (13.9 percent) were passengers of the red-light running driver, and 22 people (6.3 percent) were pedestrians or cyclists.

“Drivers who decide to run a red light when they could have stopped safely are making a reckless choice that puts other road users in danger,” said AAA Arizona spokesperson Aldo Vazquez.  “The data shows that red light running continues to be a traffic safety challenge. All road safety stakeholders must work together to change behavior and identify effective countermeasures.”

According to the AAA Foundation’s latest Traffic Safety Culture Index, 85 percent of drivers view red-light running as very dangerous, yet nearly one in three say they blew through a red light within the past 30 days when they could have stopped safely. More than two in five drivers also say it is unlikely they’ll be stopped by police for running a red light.

“Drivers who decide to run a red light when they could have stopped safely are making a reckless choice that puts other road users in danger,” said AAA Arizona Spokesperson Aldo Vazquez.  “The data shows that red light running continues to be a traffic safety challenge. All road safety stakeholders must work together to change behavior and identify effective countermeasures.”

AAA is using the data to push for implementation of red-light cameras as law enforcement and deterrent.

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