In a bold move, Mississippi has made red-light cameras illegal. As many here in Portland and Beaverton know, these cams are mounted in and around some of the busiest intersections in an effort to catch those drivers who believe laws don’t apply to them.
While evidence supports that red-light cams decrease accidents, Mississippi officials have another line of reasoning:
They may be advertised as speeding deterrents to city councils and safety tools to worried parents, but according to another school of thought, red-light cameras are all about making money.
Virginia, however, believes red-light cameras have helped in reducing accidents:
Research conclusively demonstrates the effectiveness of automated enforcement in reducing red light violations and related serious injury crashes. It also shows that photo radar can reduce vehicle speeds and crashes. The citizens of D.C. are benefiting from the implementation of these programs.
How does the public feel about this. The same report cites our fair city:
An evaluation of the speed camera program in Beaverton and Portland, Oregon, found strong public support for the use of cameras in school zones (88-89 percent) and neighborhoods (74-78 percent).
While Floridians believe the cams cause more crashes:
Rather than improving motorist safety, red-light cameras significantly increase crashes and are a ticket to higher auto insurance premiums, researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conclude. The effective remedy to red-light running uses engineering solutions to improve intersection safety, which is particularly important to Florida’s elderly drivers, the researchers recommend.
And for those who think they can trick red-light cams by switching lanes, Discovery Channel’s Myth Busters say you might want to think again.