Red light alarm in Cologne: 12,400 road users under the magnifying glass!

Red light alarm in Cologne: 12,400 road users under the magnifying glass!

The situation for pedestrians is particularly critical, of which alarming 8.3 percent of 2,880 people went over the traffic lights at red. E-scooter drivers, an increasingly present traffic group, also showed a high disregard for traffic rules at 5.9 percent. Cyclists disregarded the signals in 4.8 percent of the cases, while car drivers were affected by 1.6 percent comparatively less often. This survey was carried out with the support of a AI-supported camera system, which was installed at the examined intersections, such as n-tv.de reported.

overall assessment of the violations

The compilation of the data shows that longer red phases and less traffic volume lead to more frequent violations. In the investigation, a total of a total of 24,910 euros were forecast, all violations should be punished. In addition, these violations could go hand in hand with a total of 246 points in Flensburg and 37 one -month driving bans. A particularly tragic result of the red light violations are the 320 traffic accidents in 2023, in which 91 cyclists and 65 pedestrians were affected, as well as the five deaths that are due to such violations.

This survey is not isolated. The ADAC has also carried out similar studies in other major German cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig and Munich. Over 2800 red light violations were recorded in all of these cities. As adac.de , special AI cameras were used to grasp violations anonymously. E-scooter drivers were particularly striking, in whom 15 percent of the 338 examined cases were reduced to red light violations. In many of these cases, the traffic light was red for a long time.

traffic safety and regulation

A traffic psychologist, Ulrich Chiellino, explains that e-scooter drivers often act more carefree, which is partly due to the use of rental scooters. The difference between the simple and the qualified red light violation is crucial: a simple violation, such as driving to the intersection up to a second after red, draws lower consequences, while qualified violations are punished with higher fines and points. In addition, pedestrians are always considered simple violations in the event of violations.

With a view to future traffic safety, innovations such as the "traffic lights of the future" are being planned. These technologies could enable a prioritized green phase for emergency vehicles and flexibly adapt green circuits. Pilot projects, such as the AI ​​stamps in Hamm, have already started, but there are challenges in the flow of traffic. The surveys of the ADAC and other initiatives indicate that the need for action to improve traffic safety in cities such as Cologne is enormous.