One in ten road users in Sweden don't stop at red lights: survey
Almost one in ten road users jump red lights, according to a new survey.
Swedish motoring organization Motormännen investigated how many people stop at red lights, keeping tabs on more than 11,400 different road users in 12 towns across Sweden.
It found that nine percent ran red lights, but there were big differences between different kinds of road users.
The worst offenders were pedestrians, of whom more than one in four (26 percent) defiantly crossed the street despite a red light, followed by 19 percent of cyclists and 12 percent of moped drivers.
READ ALSO: Injuries on the rise as cyclists and pedestrians clash
"We have to increase the safety of unprotected road users and it is important that you feel safe at crossings, that's why it is so crucial that everyone respects the lights, no matter if you happen to be driving, cycling or walking," said Carl Zeidlitz, Motormännen road safety officer, in a statement.
The survey also found that nine percent of taxis failed to stop at red lights, six percent of motorcycles, five percent of cars, four percent of buses and three percent of trucks.
READ ALSO: Hundreds of Swedish smombies hurt in smartphone accidents
Gothenburg was the only large city in the survey, which mostly looked at road behaviour in small and medium-sized Swedish towns of around 20,000-80,000 residents: Ängelholm, Falun, Skövde, Lidköping, Falköping, Borås, Östersund, Hässleholm, Västervik, Umeå and Eskilstuna.
If you run a red light by car in Sweden you risk being fined 3,000 kronor ($380), or 1,500 kronor if you're on a bicycle or moped, and having your driving licence suspended for up to six months.
Crossing the street on foot when there's a red light ("gå mot röd gubbe") is illegal in Sweden, but it does not carry a penalty. However, you can still be fined for carelessness in traffic if by doing so you end up putting other road users at risk.
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Swedish motoring organization Motormännen investigated how many people stop at red lights, keeping tabs on more than 11,400 different road users in 12 towns across Sweden.
It found that nine percent ran red lights, but there were big differences between different kinds of road users.
The worst offenders were pedestrians, of whom more than one in four (26 percent) defiantly crossed the street despite a red light, followed by 19 percent of cyclists and 12 percent of moped drivers.
READ ALSO: Injuries on the rise as cyclists and pedestrians clash
"We have to increase the safety of unprotected road users and it is important that you feel safe at crossings, that's why it is so crucial that everyone respects the lights, no matter if you happen to be driving, cycling or walking," said Carl Zeidlitz, Motormännen road safety officer, in a statement.
The survey also found that nine percent of taxis failed to stop at red lights, six percent of motorcycles, five percent of cars, four percent of buses and three percent of trucks.
READ ALSO: Hundreds of Swedish smombies hurt in smartphone accidents
Gothenburg was the only large city in the survey, which mostly looked at road behaviour in small and medium-sized Swedish towns of around 20,000-80,000 residents: Ängelholm, Falun, Skövde, Lidköping, Falköping, Borås, Östersund, Hässleholm, Västervik, Umeå and Eskilstuna.
If you run a red light by car in Sweden you risk being fined 3,000 kronor ($380), or 1,500 kronor if you're on a bicycle or moped, and having your driving licence suspended for up to six months.
Crossing the street on foot when there's a red light ("gå mot röd gubbe") is illegal in Sweden, but it does not carry a penalty. However, you can still be fined for carelessness in traffic if by doing so you end up putting other road users at risk.
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