Red light cameras unsafe?

US study: accidents up at camera-policed crossings

By PH Staff / Friday, 18 November 2005 / Loading comments

Red light camera in Texas

A study in the US has found that red light cameras don't in fact reduce accidents -- they increase them. According to The American Chronicle, drivers slam on their brakes to avoid getting caught, causing those behind to rear-end the late braker.

The problem allegedly stems from the large number of cameras dishing out tickets in error -- and also, presumably, from a propensity to tailgate. However, the prestigious Washington Post examined how effective the city's 45 camera-policed intersections and found that injury and fatal crashes climbed 81 per cent. Side-on collisions jumped 30 per cent.

A spokesman for PhantomPlate, which makes a spray-on camera blocker, PhotoBlocker, said: "Cities need money, and politicians often look to speed cameras and red light cameras as a great source of revenue. All around the country drivers are becoming victims, and thousands are getting tickets they do not deserve," said Scott.

His allegations were lent weight by studies which found that some authorities were illegally shortening the length of the yellow phase of the traffic lights in order to increase revenues, and had to refund fines when the move was discovered. In vindication, a study found that that adding an extra second to the yellow light phase could reduce accidents by 40 per cent or more.

While many of the issues surrounding the story are US-specific -- and many could be eliminated by not tailgating -- it suggests that the problems arising from associating revenue from traffic fines with automated systems are by no means a UK-only matter.

Links

Image by Aren Cambre