A new study has revealed the UK areas most likely to run a red light.

At the top of the list is the heart of the capital – Westminster. 

In fact, London does not fare well when obeying the lights.

North and south

Personal injury experts at Claims.co.uk analysed data from the Home Office on the number of road collisions caused by drivers disobeying an automatic traffic signal in 2022.

These figures were compared to the population to determine the final ranking. 

Westminster ranks at the top, with 12.30 road collisions per 100,000 people. The City of Westminster reported 26 collisions due to ignoring a traffic light in 2022 – the biggest offender area.

Coming in second is Doncaster, with 9.11 crashes for every 100,000 individuals. In 2022, the city experienced a total of 10 collisions caused by drivers disregarding a traffic signal.    

Meanwhile, Bradford is in third place, with 25 road collisions throughout the year—the second highest number among the top ten. Against the population, that equates to 8.52 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants.    

City driving

Remaining north of London, Wolverhampton places fourth, with 6.77 traffic collisions per 100,000 people. In 2022, drivers disobeyed a traffic signal, causing 17 collisions.  

Then it is a trip to the southern coast and Southampton. It comes fifth with 6.27 crashes for every 100,000 people. The city reported 17 road collisions caused by drivers ignoring a traffic light.  

Back to the capital, Kensington and Chelsea comes in sixth, with nine incidents during the year. Weighed against the population, this equals 6.16 crashes per 100,000 individuals.  

Bouncing back to the beaches, Bournemouth comes seventh on the list. Here, there are 5.87 road collisions for every 100,000 inhabitants. The town reported 11 collisions caused by drivers disregarding a traffic signal in 2022.  

Geographical sense

It’s a quick trip west to eighth place Swindon, with 5.85 crashes per 100,000 residents. Swindon witnessed 13 traffic collisions throughout the year due to ignoring a traffic light.  

However, it’s then a return to Greater London. Southwark ranks ninth, with 18 collisions in 2022 caused by drivers disobeying a traffic signal. Against the population, that equates to 5.77 accidents per 100,000 people.  

Landing the tenth spot is Tower Hamlets, with 5.53 road collisions for every 100,000 individuals. The borough experienced 18 traffic accidents during the year due to drivers disregarding a traffic signal.   
 

Reds missed

Rank  Area  Collisions per 100,000 people 
1  Westminster  12.30 
2  Doncaster  9.11 
3  Bradford  8.52 
4  Wolverhampton  6.77 
5  Southampton  6.27 
6  Kensington and Chelsea  6.16 
7  Bournemouth  5.87 
8  Swindon  5.85 
9  Southwark  5.77 
10  Tower Hamlets  5.53 

 

Better education?

A spokesperson for Claims.co.uk commented on the findings: “It’s interesting to discover that four out of the leading ten areas are based in London. This suggests that driving instructors in the city perhaps need to emphasise the importance of traffic lights and the dangers that can occur by disobeying them. 

“However, regardless of where drivers are located, it’s crucial that all citizens stop at red lights to ensure safety on the roads. Failing to do so doesn’t only impose risk to yourself, but also to other drivers.”