From texting to drunk driving, some folks don't understand that driving is a privilege and not a right. Keep your eyes on the road and stay safe, because if you don't you might run a red light. This is what that could look like.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has put together a crash-test video to show what a red-light running accident might look like. A 2007 Chrysler Sebring faces off against a 2010 Ford F-150. The results aren't pretty. It's the Chrysler that gets it the worst since it's hit from the side. As the sunroof glass is sent flying into the ether, the roof ripples away, glass shatters, and the dummy inside has a neck that looks like its gone on a terrible carnival ride.
While the F-150 driver would likely be in better shape, there's still a lot of forward and backward action happening to the neck and head. Not to mention the potential for glass in the face, burns from an airbag deployment, and general crushing of the leg area in the cabin. This would not be a simple case of both drivers walking away from the scene.
The IIHS states that over 800 people died from crashes where someone ran a red light. That's a 17-percent increase since 2012. And it's the sort of accident that is so easily preventable. Keep your eyes up, your cabin distraction free, and be aware of the other drivers around you. This won't allow you to prevent all accidents from happening, but it can help keep you safer and the other motorists around you safer as well.
We all love driving. We should also all love driving safely. Pay attention out there people.
