Each month on British roads, motorists are driving through 12 million red lights -- the equivalent of running 278 red lights every minute, according to new research from Direct Line Car Insurance
Over 5.2 million motorists (14%) admit that they drive through an average of two red traffic lights each month. Over 760,000 motorists (2%) habitually drive through red lights if they feel the road is clear and there is no traffic.
This means that drivers, every month, risk clocking up over 36 million penalty points (three for each offence) and fines from fixed penalty notices totalling £721 million.
A surprisingly high number of motorists, dubbed ‘amber gamblers’, are putting their lives and other road-users at risk by failing to slow down for traffic lights about to turn red. Almost one in ten motorists (9%) don’t reduce their speed when approaching amber lights, with four per cent admitting to putting the accelerator to the floor to race through the lights.
Over 1.5 million motorists (4%) admit to getting a thrill when driving through amber traffic lights that they know will have turned red before they have passed through the crossing or junction. Over 500,000 drivers risk being rear ended as they stamp on their brakes as an automatic response whenever they see amber traffic lights.