Posted on 07/07/2007 7:42:30 PM PDT by Babu
A new Virginia Department of Transportation study shows accidents increased by nearly a third where red light cameras were used.
The Virginia Transportation Research Council today released a report expanding upon earlier research into the safety effects of red light cameras in Virginia. The new study, funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, provided a city-by-city assessment that showed significant increases in the number of injuries and accidents at intersections employing photo enforcement.
The change in the frequency of injury accidents varied widely among jurisdictions -- down 5 percent in one but up between 6 and 89 percent in all others. Even within a jurisdiction some intersections fared better than others. In Fairfax County, for example, the total number of crashes increased at every intersection with a camera, except for one -- Route 50 and Fair Ridge. VDOT increased the duration of the yellow light from 4 seconds to 5.5 seconds on August 12, 1998. Research by the Texas Transportation Institute confirmed that longer yellows yield significant accident reductions. Overall, the data in the VTRC report painted a grim picture consistent with prior, independent investigations.
"The cameras were associated with an increase in total crashes. Arlington and Fairfax County saw significant increases, Falls Church and Vienna saw non significant increases, and Fairfax City saw a nonsignificant decrease."
Although it is now widely accepted that red light cameras are associated with increases in the number of rear end collisions, the VTRC report did not solely attribute the overall increase in accidents and injuries to this type of collision. Angle collisions also increased.
"Cameras were associated with an increase of between 31 percent and 54 percent for rear-end crashes overall," the report found. "The association of the cameras with angle crashes differed among jurisdictions, although a preponderance of test results suggested an increase."
Contrary to industry claims, this was not a temporary phenomenon.
"The cameras were not associated with a decrease in rear-end crashes over time after the initial increase that followed camera installation," the report found.
Red light cameras were authorized in Virginia between 1995 and 2005. After a two year battle with municipal lobbyists and the insurance industry, the Virginia state legislature re-authorized the use of red light cameras. The law took effect July 1. The full text of the study is available in a 1mb PDF file at the source link below.
Key Statistic:
City Rear End Angle Injury Total
Arlington +139% +53% +89% +65%
Fairfax City +10% -35% -5% -7%
Fairfax County +40% +8% +6% +23%
Falls Church +136% -15% +79% +38%
Vienna +64% -6% +59% +25%
Average +42% +20% +18% +29%
Source: The Impact of Red Light Cameras on Crashes in Virginia (Virginia Transportation Research Council, 7/5/2007)
Who will hold the Nannyists to account?
They should be made to pay the entire increased cost of these accidents from directly out of their pockets.
“A new Virginia Department of Transportation study shows accidents increased by nearly a third where red light cameras were used.”
LOL,Big Brother must be making the sheeple nervous....
Raking in the cash and acclimating us to Big Brother.
I saw something about an incident at a parade in NYC. I’m not sure when this happened, but one of the cable news channels showed it. The cops didn’t respond as they should have, so from now on, every parade (public gathering?) will have overhead cameras, helicopters, and more police. It seems like every opportunity the Stalinists have, they jump on it. In my opinion.
The purpose of the cameras is to raise funds, not safety. Mr. Peduto, a democrat councilman from Pittsburhg, proposed them here for the city last year, and the promised increase in revenue was the whole purpose of it.
The politicians are willing to sacrifice some degree of safety to get more money.
That's why almost no one ever believes any report they put out.
That intersection has more than half the traffic flow of all intersections with the lights. It is down.
Now, very carefully ~ read between the lines ~ pedestrian deaths are _____?
Did they mention that? Hmmm. Bet they didn't.
Pittsburgh needs the money. Fairfax County is America’s richest jurisdiction. It doesn’t need the money.
The accidents are caused by global warming. Or maybe it’s rap music...
I've read articles that these cameras are owned and programmed by Lockheed, and that the cities only get a few pennies on the dollar of the fees, so the stupid cities are sticking it to their citizens and shipping all the money to California. Several towns have had to refund fines, because the traffic signals were programmed to change so fast, these is no possible way to get through the intersection once it "flicked" on yellow.
Another alternative is to buy one of those license plate covers that distorts your license # so the camera can't read it. I'm seeing more of them around.
Mayor Manhood (Columbus) has started installing cameras. The obligatory report regarding a lowering of accidents has already appeared in the local paper.
With study like this in hand then someone who gets in an accident can start a really nifty lawsuit against the state.
Go here http://highwayrobbery.net to find out how to beat the tickets.
When my father saw a 4-way stop, he said, “the law covers its a**.”
I’ve heard (hearsay, mind you) that the tag covers didn’t work. They are starting to implement the cameras in Knoxville, TN. The only stats you hear about are those that mention increased “revenue”. All government is becoming too intrusive and will become more so with any and every opportunity. Why don’t they take all that s—t and put it on the border? No, we can’t offend the sensibilities of foreign potential welfare state recipients and saboteurs.
Many of their employees live in the tonier sections of Fairfax County, VA. They pay beaucoup taxes ~ so your money is going to a good cause ~ ME!!!
If the government were intellectually honest about these cameras and increasing public safety, then they would not be used to issue tickets. They would only be used in case of an accident to re-construct the accident and determine who is at fault. The cameras should not be causing government to rake in extra money from catching someone who is a fraction of a second late getting through an intersection but did not cause an accident by doing so.
So if we’re all intellectually honest about this, we would see that the government is not being honest to us that safety is the key concern with these cameras. I would love to pass a law that would allow the cameras to stay but not use them to give people tickets. They should only be used to provide evidence if an accident happens.
This doesn’t surprise me. When I’m stuck at one of those things I speed up to make sure I’m out of the intersection in time. I usually driver more cautiously. But I’m afraid of an expensive ticket.
The worst part for me is that I own both our cars and my husband has just gone wild with a red light ticket plus several toll road violations because we didn’t realize our stickers weren’t current. Of course, everything went in my name and I haven’t had a ticket of any kind for years.
Thanks for posting this. With all the uproar over the outrageous "civil remedial fees" for driving infractions, I didn't hear that the legislature also sneakily reauthorized the use of those ridiculous red-light cameras.
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