Do red light cameras really reduce crashes?
No one likes to get a ticket, especially from one of those dreaded red light cameras.
Critics say they're just a way for cities to raise money. The cops say they work to prevent accidents.
The insurance industry, which studies these things, says red light cameras save lives by preventing dangerous T-bone crashes.
"They only people who need to worry about red light cameras are the people who run red lights," says Russ Rader is with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (the people who do those crash tests you see on TV all the time). "And, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who believe that their time is worth more than your life and red light running kills more than 700 people every year."
Rader says research shows red light cameras reduce red light running violations by 40 to 50 percent. "Even more importantly, they reduce injury crashes by 25 to 30 percent."
There can be an increase in rear end collisions when red light cameras are first installed.
"But these are typically fender benders and we're trying to prevent the high-speed broadside crashes," Rader says.
For more information
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Red Light Cameras
Speed and Red Light Cameras
The National Safety Commission on Red Light Cameras
Critics say they're just a way for cities to raise money. The cops say they work to prevent accidents.
The insurance industry, which studies these things, says red light cameras save lives by preventing dangerous T-bone crashes.
"They only people who need to worry about red light cameras are the people who run red lights," says Russ Rader is with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (the people who do those crash tests you see on TV all the time). "And, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who believe that their time is worth more than your life and red light running kills more than 700 people every year."
Rader says research shows red light cameras reduce red light running violations by 40 to 50 percent. "Even more importantly, they reduce injury crashes by 25 to 30 percent."
There can be an increase in rear end collisions when red light cameras are first installed.
"But these are typically fender benders and we're trying to prevent the high-speed broadside crashes," Rader says.
For more information
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Red Light Cameras
Speed and Red Light Cameras
The National Safety Commission on Red Light Cameras