Red Light Cameras Increase Accidents in Baytown, Texas

Any idea why redlight cameras decrease accidents at some intersections in some cities, but increase them in others?

I live in Dallas, which has one of the largest number of redlight camera intersections in the U.S., and I cannot tell you when I last saw an accident at one of those intersections.

Because they are useless except for revenue generation, and if one were to examine the results of all the cameras in use I would GUESS that you would find no statistical difference in driver behavior.

All the red light camera intersections in my area have heavy traffic. I have driven through most of them and seen the chaos the camera causes. Traffic slows down because of the camera and the violations increase.

My opinion is that traffic flows more quickly and safely when drivers think alike, for instance while going to work in the morning. Red light cameras have disrupted this.

Some drivers know the camera is there and others don't. The drivers who are unaware can't understand what the more cautious drivers are doing by slowing down and are trying to get around them any way they can.

The drivers who know the camera is there have various reactions. Some are just alert to avoid any accident this confusion will cause. Some are driving very slowly. Others are ready to stand on the brakes at a yellow light, or even at a green light just before it changes to yellow.

Recently a friend was driving me through an area she was not familiar with, and I warned her that there were red light cameras all over the neighborhood. While driving on a street with a 40 mph speed limit where 55 is the norm, we came to an intersection with no camera.

The light just turned red and she made a hard stop rather than run the light. I could see in the right mirror, behind us, a Chevy Suburban coming fast. I thought we were going to be hit hard in the rear, when the SUV passed us on the shoulder, blowing straight through the light and speeding away. So much for our caution!

I now use the nuvi with the red light camera file to plan my route to avoid these areas.

dobs108 - Long Island - Nassau County NY - A suburb of NYC

Very interesting. I usually avoid those intersections.

Not to quote Bill C., but it likely depends on what an accident "is" in whatever "study" is being quoted.

Motorcyclists from the 60's that were interested in the 'new' helmet laws know that even today it's hard to compile a study using jurisdiction-gathered data. The statistic term definitions, recording methods, and capture completeness vary so widely among jurisdictions that nationwide studies usually need to be undertaken from beginning to end by the same entity in order to be even close to accurate.

It's anyone's guess if you are comparing apples to apples usually.

Although there is some credence to be given to local jurisdiction general driving habits, licensing requirements, and median ethics.

Not statistically significant, but a friend owns a service station on a corner of a camera equipped intersection. He said that he had never seen a blown red light accident and there were very few accidents in general for the 10 years before the camera. In the year since the camera was installed, there have been at least a half dozen rear enders. His theory is that people who know the camera is there slam on their brakes at the sight of a yellow light causing the tailgaters to crash into them. Personally, I avoid the local camera intersections. Many of my neighbors apparently don't which may explain why such a large number of them have been issued tickets. Mostly for improper right on red.

Be glad you're not driving down here in Florida.. especially during "Snow Bird" season.

Quite often I'll see a driver put their foot on the brake a third of a block before the "GREEN" light intersection.. and continue to ride it through for the next hundred yards or so, intersection after intersection after intersection.. just so they'll be ready in case the light turns "Yellow", something they never did before "Red" light cameras were installed.

Of course it sure does keep the brake replacement people in business though.

Nuvi1300WTGPS

My town has red light cameras, and the politicians are very careful to specify that "deadly T-bone style collisions" have been reduced, and the general public thinks that collisions have been reduced. They rarely say that rear-end collisions have gone up.

I find that when approaching a red-light intersection I look for the cross-walk lights and when that is flashing "Dont Walk" I know the traffic light is getting ready to change and I get ready to stop.
I agree that overall safety improves when drivers are all thinking alike and responding in a similar manner.

H'mmm, I think I better stay away from your area if you (apparently) think it puts you at risk for actually stopping at a red light!

I guess it is not always good to change people's behavior.

I suspect that people are noticing the cameras late and slamming on the brakes

that is the stated purpose of the red lite camera according to some of the links on relate threads.

if the amount of time for the yellow light has been reduced it could be the prime cause of the rear end accidents.

nice!!
now, people know it is there.