As pedestrian deaths reach 40-year high, right-on-red comes under scrutiny nationwide

With pedestrian deaths reaching a 40-year high, cities throughout the U.S. have debated banning vehicles from turning right at red lights.

Last year Washington, D.C. approved a right-on-red ban taking effect by 2025 and the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, banned right turns at 50 intersections in its downtown area. Cambridge, Massachusetts is another city that has right-on-red bans.

Other cities including San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Seattle have considered similar policies to ban right-on-red turns as a way to address the growing number of pedestrian and biker deaths and safety issues.

History of right-on-red

The U.S. is one of the few countries that allows for right turns at red lights. According to reporting from Stateline, states were mandated to allow turning-on-red as a part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. To receive federal highway funding, states could not ban turning at a red light. Although other policy measures aimed at conserving fuel at the time were disbanded, right-on-red continues to be the default of many cities.

Outside of some intersections in Staten Island, New York City never adopted a right-on-red policy.

Pedestrian deaths reach a record-high

A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association found that more than 7,500 people walking were struck and killed by automobiles in 2022, reaching a 40-year high. The spike in deaths, which includes all accidents, can be attributed to an increase in larger vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks on the road.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the odds a pedestrian would be killed when struck by an automobile turning right were 89% higher when the vehicle was a pickup and 63% higher when it was an SUV.

The Insurance Institute said this increase is due to larger blind spots and the deadlier force associated with heavier vehicle models.

Which states have the highest pedestrian causalities?

New Mexico has the highest rate of pedestrian deaths of any state in the country, followed by Arizona, according to the GHSA.

Oklahoma's pedestrian fatality rate was not reported because of incomplete data.

According to the AP, there are no recent, nationwide studies of how many people are hurt or killed by right-turning drivers.

Experts say in order to make roads safer for everyone, roads might include new bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and fewer cars.

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