Stopping at red lights: ADAC counts traffic light offenders in Leipzig

Whether pedestrians, cyclists or drivers: when the traffic lights show red, not everyone stops - but the vast majority do. This was the result of a recent survey by the ADAC in Leipzig. The traffic club counted red light violations at four busy intersections for four hours at a time.

The result: of around 13,500 road users, just under three percent disregarded the red light. E-scooter riders ignored the red light most frequently, with almost one in four of them doing so. Around six percent of pedestrians went through red lights, five percent of cyclists and around one percent of car drivers did not stop at red lights.

The longer the red light, the more often it is ignored

"The longer a red phase lasts, the more likely it is that a red light will be ignored," said an ADAC spokesperson when asked. The ADAC traffic light survey in Leipzig took place on October 2, 2024, a Wednesday, using an AI-supported camera system.

The ADAC had investigated red light violations in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Munich. Out of 66,158 registered road users, the testers counted 2,833 red light violations. It was striking that the smallest group of e-scooters (338) ignored red lights most frequently, accounting for more than 14 percent of all violations.

According to ADAC calculations, if the violations had been punished, the road users concerned would have had to pay around 158,000 euros in fines. In addition, there would have been 1,573 points in Flensburg and 164 one-month driving bans.

Traffic light speed cameras and controls could help

Obeying the rules and mutual consideration are essential for road safety. According to the ADAC, "traffic light speed cameras" and targeted traffic light checks by the police could help to improve the situation. In addition, traffic lights should be checked at junctions with frequent red light violations.