DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT VEHICLES FROM RUNNING RED LIGHTS

CROSSROADS Minnesota's transportation research blog

By MNDOTRESEARCH

MARCH 19, 2025

Crashes that result from vehicles driving through red lights are often very serious because they are typically right-angle or side-impact crashes. While newer vehicles have many standard safety features such as lane departure warning and brake assistance systems to support drivers, they do not have technologies to help prevent driving through red lights. This project developed an algorithm that integrated traffic light phasing information with GPS data to warn drivers when they were approaching a red light, providing valuable driver assistance and improving traffic safety and efficiency. 

Vehicles driving through red lights are a major cause of crashes and fatalities. Police enforcement can be used to address the issue, but this practice can take up vital resources. An effective countermeasure was needed to warn drivers of the possibility of running a red light. This project explored the use of a red light running warning system (RLRWS) to assist distracted drivers and potentially decrease the rate of serious crashes and improve road safety. 

View the full article: Mntransportationresearch.org/