Red light running causes about 800 crash deaths per year, according to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. About half of the people killed aren’t the red light violators; they are pedestrians and occupants of vehicles hit by the violator. These scofflaws cause an estimated additional 165,000 injuries each year.

How cameras help reduce violations—and crashes

Cameras are being installed increasingly in city intersections with high red light violation rates. Acting as a deterrent, they prevent red light running, thereby preventing collisions. The cameras are connected to the signal lights and sensors that monitor traffic through the intersection. Vehicle license plates are automatically photographed as they go through the intersection after the light has been red for a specified period of time.

In Philadelphia, for example, legislation in 2004 authorized cameras to photograph the rear license plates of vehicles involved in the violation, but not the occupants. Owners of the vehicles are subject to a $100 fine.

Goal is deterrence of violations, not a “sting” operation

Conspicuous signs advise motorists as they approach the camera-equipped intersections. Motorists are not “ambushed” with hidden cameras. Opponents of red light cameras have claimed that merely increasing yellow light duration would solve the problem. However, studies at Philadelphia’s intersections show that while some decrease is possible with longer yellow lights, cameras have brought the violations to near zero. And that means fewer deaths and injuries…and lower cost for collisions and repairs of vehicles.

Where cameras are in operation

Currently, over 200 U.S. cities have red light cameras. As recently as ten years ago, only two cities—New York and San Francisco—had camera enforcement. The following states have communities with cameras in operation, with more being added all the time:  Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

For more information on red light running and other helpful statistics, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute at http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/rlr.html.
 

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