Accidents increase at Chicago red light camera intersections
The Chicago suburbs are buying into the red light camera movement, but the results are not very positive. The number of accidents actually rose during the first year the cameras were installed in most instances, with another two showing no change whatsoever. The trend reflects what other municipalities are finding when it comes to the alleged "safety" benefits of the cameras. There isn't any, but that isn't stopping more cities from cashing in on the increase in tickets.
The Chicago Tribune put together a handy page that contains yearly accident data for every red light camera installed in the Chicago metropolitan area from 2006 and 2007. According to the data, the first 14 installed in the suburbs right after they got the green light (ba-dum ching!) in 2006 showed pretty poor results: a full 50 percent saw an increase in accidents after the cameras were installed. In fact, some of the intersections didn't just show an average increase—some of them were quite significant. At the very least, the cameras don't seem to be helping, and some believe they are leading to more accidents because more drivers are slamming on the brakes when they come up to an intersection equipped with one.
Two of the 14 showed no change at all after the cameras were installed, and only five showed a decrease in accidents. Overall, the Illinois Department of Transportation says that accidents either increased or stayed the same at 60 percent of the 47 city intersections where cameras were installed in 2006 and 2007.
The problem with red light cameras—aside from the fact that they don't seem to reduce accidents—is that they are usually run by private companies contracted by the city, and those companies have little interest in installing them on red lights where violations are infrequent. And, when they are installed on high-accident intersections, the number of $100-a-pop tickets go through the roof. In fact, it's open secret that cities where the cameras are installed tend to see a fat increase in ticket revenues, and that's part of the reason lawmakers are often hesitant to take them down.
There are, however, some municipalities that are bucking the trend. The Chicago suburb of Schaumburg ditched its single red light camera last summer, claiming that there was no safety advantage. (It was also pissing off residents, which some believe to be the true reason why the camera got removed. Either way, the end result is that the camera is gone.) The state of Mississippi also made waves earlier this year by banning the cameras on the state level, though the move was controversial even within the state.
Still, there will always be those who extol the virtues of the red light camera. The Chicago suburb of Bellwood claims that drivers are more likely to slow down before an intersection with a red light camera, and numerous towns in Texas are fiercely holding onto their cameras. Residents of those areas should just be careful not to get punked by cars masquerading with fake license plates.
Further reading
- Red-light cameras: First 14 installed in suburbs show mixed results (chicagotribune.com)
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