Intersections are dangerous because they bring together traffic that, by definition, is traveling in different directions. Red and yellow lights are used to control vehicles at these intersections because they help prevent crashes.
When drivers disobey traffic signals, they risk causing serious car accidents. These collisions often involve side-impact crashes that can crush a vehicle’s occupants.
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law has extensive experience helping victims of red and yellow light accidents in Orlando, FL. If you need help recovering compensation for your injuries, contact our Orlando car accident attorneys for a free case evaluation at 407-801-3000.
How Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law Can Help You After a Traffic Light Accident in Orlando, FL
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law was founded in 2020 to represent injured clients in Orlando, Florida, in their pursuit of fair compensation. Our Orlando car accident lawyers have over 100 years of combined legal experience, including experience as former insurance attorneys defending against personal injury claims.
Our attorneys provide the following services to victims who have suffered preventable injuries due to someone else’s actions:
- Listening to the victim and explaining their legal rights and options
- Investigating the accident and gathering evidence to support the case
- Filing an insurance claim and negotiating for a fair settlement
- Litigating when insurers and at-fault parties refuse to settle on fair terms
Red and yellow light crashes can cause painful and disabling injuries. Contact our Orlando personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to learn about your right to pursue compensation for injuries in Florida.
How Many Florida Crashes Involve Red Light Violations in Orlando?
Tens of thousands of crashes happen each year when Florida drivers run red lights.
According to Florida’s Crash Facts book, accident reports filed in the state in 2022 attributed the following crashes to red light violations:
- 96 fatal crashes
- 728 serious injury crashes where victims required an ambulance
- 3,996 minor injury crashes where victims suffered visible, non-incapacitating injuries
- 7,921 possible injury crashes where victims complained of pain without a visible injury
- 20,377 property-damage-only crashes
In total, red light violations led to 33,118 collisions that year. These numbers include crashes involving pedestrians and bicycles hit by cars that ran red lights.
Florida does not report the number of yellow light crashes. Drivers facing a yellow light retain the right-of-way. Thus, drivers technically do not violate traffic laws by proceeding through them.
The Consequences of Red and Yellow Light Crashes
Florida law treats red and yellow lights differently. Yellow lights warn drivers of an impending red light. Florida’s traffic laws do not require drivers to yield, slow down, or stop at yellow lights. Therefore, drivers who run yellow lights do not violate the law.
However, it’s still possible to act negligently without violating traffic laws. Negligence happens when someone fails to exercise the caution expected of a reasonably careful driver.
In many cases involving yellow lights, a reasonably cautious driver would stop rather than:
- Speed up to get through the light before it turns red
- Try to run a stale yellow light that is about to change
- Drive while distracted and fail to notice the light has turned yellow
Thus, drivers who run yellow lights might be liable even when their actions comply with traffic laws. Negligence rules usually impose obligations that extend beyond traffic violations.
Red Light Collisions
Unlike with yellow lights, red light running does violate traffic regulations. The law requires drivers to stop behind the stop line or crosswalk when facing red lights. When intersections lack markings, they must stop before entering intersections. Drivers at red lights cannot proceed until the light turns green.
When a driver proceeds through a red light, they violate Florida traffic laws. They could also become liable for any injuries that result from their actions. Specifically, reasonably prudent drivers do not run red lights, and doing so means a person is acting negligently.
Injuries From Intersection Crashes
Red and yellow light crashes are particularly dangerous. These accidents can cause side-impact collisions that make the other vehicle’s door collapse. The car’s occupants can suffer crushing injuries as a result and get showered with shattered glass from the side windows.
Equally importantly, frontal airbags and seat belts are not designed to prevent vehicle occupants from sliding sideways. A side-impact collision can injure a vehicle occupant’s chest, abdomen, or head, leading to life-threatening internal injuries and brain damage.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Orlando Auto Accident Attorney
A red or yellow light crash has the potential to cause painful or even life-threatening injuries, particularly when a driver blows through the light at full speed. Contact Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law for a free consultation to discuss your crash and the compensation you can recover for the losses you’ve suffered.