The first week of August is National Stop on Red Week. It may seem obvious that drivers should always stop at red lights, yet in 2023 alone, more than 136,000 people were injured and over 1,000 were killed in crashes involving drivers running red lights. This indicates many of the country’s drivers do not heed one of the simplest rules of the road: always stop on red! Red-light running crashes are 100% preventable if drivers follow this one fundamental rule.

Making safe stops is vital to community safety. More than half of those injured when a driver ignores a red light are pedestrians and cyclists. Every time drivers run a red light, they don’t just put themselves at risk, they also endanger the lives of the most vulnerable road users.

Despite knowing the simple rule that a red light means stop, nearly 4.2 million drivers still ran red lights in 2023. This astounding number of motorists ignoring basic traffic rules underscores why National Stop on Red Week is so important in Florida and across the country. It’s a vital reminder of the need to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths caused by red-light running. Remember: always stop on red.