The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) and FocusDriven have teamed up to release a new analysis which studies the impact of distracted driving on red-light running.

The two traffic safety organizations are launching a new multimedia campaign effort called Stop Distraction on Red, to raise awareness about "distracted driving and intersection safety" according to a joint press release.

Approximately 118 red-light safety camera intersections in 19 different communities was looked at during a three-month period, and the companies discovered 12 percent of red-light violations during that time period were caused by distracted driving. 

From the sample findings an estimated 7,336,696 intersection violations occurred in the U.S. in 2012 that were caused by distracted driving.

"Distracted driving is a pervasive threat on our roadways, particularly when it comes to cell phone use while driving," said the companies in the press statement. "According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use is a factor in 21 percent of crashes, and drivers talking on handheld or hands-free cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in a car crash."

The study found that there is a "close connection" between distracted driving and red-light running, which is the top cause of urban crashes according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The analysis also looks at the effect of distracted driving legislation on intersection violations by comparing the communities in the sample with strict cell phone bans in place with communities who have "more lenient or no laws against cell phone use while driving" according to the press release.

Less than 10 percent of red-light violations involved distracted driving in communities that have strict laws against cell phone use, where as 16 percent of violations occur in communities that do not. This would mean that communities with strict cell phone rules cut the risk of distracted driving by 7 percent.

Click here for more information on the campaign and a copy of the full analysis released this week.

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