The dangers of running a red light are extensive!  First of all, pedestrians use a red light to determine when it is safe for them to enter the road.  If you run a red light, there are likely to be pedestrians in your path.  A car traveling at any speed that strikes a pedestrian may injure or kill them.

Secondly, you are entering an intersection which means that other motor vehicles may be approaching from another direction.  The most likely crash to occur at an intersection is a ‘t-bone’ crash, which means that the full force of the front of your vehicle will likely collide with the passenger or driver side door, or vice versa if yours is the car that is ‘t-boned.’  For the passenger or driver who takes the brunt of this blow, the sustained injuries may be catastrophic.  If you fail to stop before turning on red, a similar crash called a ‘side-swipe’ will result and you, the driver, will likely take the blunt of this blow to the driver side door.

Finally, if you have struck a vehicle after running a red light, a chain reaction may occur.  The cars following behind the victim’s vehicle will likely not have enough time to react to the accident and abrupt stop, and you may find that a secondary ‘rear end’ accident may occur, thereby causing more damage and possible injuries.