Red-light Cameras Increase Crashes

[duncan drennan]

This research makes one wonder about the general trend for more and more traffic cameras.

“The rigorous studies clearly show red-light cameras don’t work,” said lead author Barbara Langland-Orban, professor and chair of health policy and management at the USF College of Public Health.

“Instead, they increase crashes and injuries as drivers attempt to abruptly stop at camera intersections. If used in Florida, cameras could potentially create even worse outcomes due to the state’s high percent of elderly who are more likely to be injured or killed when a crash occurs.”

Are fixed red-light traffic cameras just a way of increasing revenues for municipalities, or a valid way of increasing driver safety?

[Dave A]

One of the roads I need to travel along each day is a major route for taxis. In particular, I need to make a right turn at the one intersection and you really have to be careful about it. Once the lights for oncoming traffic had turned red, it is not unusual for a steady flow of taxis to continue through the intersection for up to 5 seconds later. You certainly cannot assume that the vehicle still some 30 meters away is going to stop just because the traffic lights are red.

Now this stretch of road has quite a few red-light cameras, and the difference in how attentive the drivers are to a red light at these intersections is definitely noticeable. The regulars know where they are and take care.

Unfortunately, they also know where they aren't too, and at those intersections the maxim that size matters applies.

By my understanding, it is the high accident rate intersections that are prioritised for these cameras anyway - so the fact that there are more accidents on intersections with the red-light cameras is not that surprising.