The IIHS Study on Red Light Cameras: What Can We Learn?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has conducted a study on red light cameras and their impact on traffic safety. The results of the study suggest that getting rid of red light cameras could lead to an increase in deadly traffic crashes.

According to the IIHS, cities that have ended their camera programs have seen a significant increase in red light running crashes, which went up by nearly a third. This is compared to cities that continued with their camera programs, where there was no notable increase in these types of crashes.

The study also found that all kinds of crashes at intersections with traffic signals went up 16% in cities that got rid of cameras. This suggests that red light cameras not only deter drivers from running red lights but also influence other behaviors by drivers.

However, it's worth noting that while red light cameras can increase the likelihood of rear-end crashes, these types of crashes are more likely to be minor with fewer fatalities and injuries compared to T-bone crashes.

The city of Dayton, Ohio, rebooted its traffic camera program after a two-year hiatus during which time there was no camera system in place. The result was a 40% increase in red light running crashes. Officials expect the opposite trend when they re-install the camera system.

Russ Rader, who works for IIHS, believes that lives will be lost in communities that remove their camera systems without a clear safety benefit. He also notes that certain cities' attitude towards red-light cameras is often driven by dollars, rather than a genuine concern for public safety.

Opponents of red light cameras have proposed solutions such as longer yellow lights to give drivers more time to slow down. Researchers at Virginia Tech found that increasing the length of a yellow light by even half a second can dramatically decrease the number of crashes at an intersection.

In response to these findings, the Florida Department of Transportation has opted to lengthen yellow lights at all red-light camera intersections in order to promote safety and squash any lingering suspicions about ticket revenue.

National safety organizations have been created to provide guidelines and instructions for planning, implementing, and evaluating red light camera programs. The checklist released by these organizations includes recommendations such as placing cameras at dangerous intersections, monitoring safety data, and posting signs to alert drivers that cameras are in operation.

The key to a successful red light camera program is to prioritize public safety over revenue generation. This means using the money collected from cameras exclusively for traffic safety programs and ensuring that the system is implemented in a way that benefits the community.

As Dr. Rader notes, more people are alive today as a direct result of these devices. The Bone Marrow Donor Registry is an example of how technology can be used to save lives. By signing up to become a bone marrow donor, individuals can help patients around the world find life-saving transplants.

How Can You Help?

To become a bone marrow donor and potentially save a life, follow these simple steps:

1. Click on the link in the description.

2. Answer a short medical history questionnaire.

3. If you're eligible, a match will be sent to you via an envelope with a cheek swab inside.

4. Swab your cheek and send it back to become a match.

Every three minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia. By signing up to become a bone marrow donor, you can help save a life. Don't miss out on this opportunity - sign up today!

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WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enOh donut Long Islanders awoke to a new report on controversial red-light cameras purely a revenue generating device big tickets big fines red-light cameras make some people see red and others see green are these camera programs a legit safety solution or simply a cash cow for city budgets is Big Brother watching me I hope so hey Craig he's my big brother red light cameras were introduced with the intention of making intersections safer the logic is that if someone sees a sign that says red light photo enforced and knows that we photograph they'll think twice before speeding through a red light however in Florida drivers caught light red light cameras in 2012 paid more than a hundred million dollars in traffic fines that same year in Washington DC red light cameras brought in nearly 12 million dollars many see the cameras as nothing more than a way for seeds to make some easy money by slapping fines on drivers which leads the public to ask how are these red light camera programs run who's in charge whoa 99.99% of government entities have contracts with private companies and these organizations install the cameras and usually charge communities a fee for the camera rental each month at an intersection with the camera sensors cue the cameras whenever a violation occurs the camera shoots video of the offender and sends it to analysts at the camera company for a closer inspection if the analysts think the situation warrants a ticket they forward the video to local law enforcement agents who review it again ultimately law enforcement officers have the final say about whether or not a driver receives a citation as a result of this activity in the fiscal year of 2013 Florida collected about 53% of revenue from red light cameras in 76 jurisdictions across the state a total of 52 million dollars that's three times the amount the state collected in 2011 Miami with its 148 red light cameras pumped more than six million dollars into the state's coffers and take it from me you don't want to talk to Miami before it's had its coffer with kind of serious cash being generated you might be wondering where all that money ends up the answer is as varied as the number of times Drake's than emotion like I'm actually not that guy in real life I'm very happy luckily there are some states that limit where any excess revenue generated from the red light program can go Texas for example it keeps a close eye on its earnings any revenue in excess of what it costs the cities to run the programs goes to trauma care centers that treat car crash victims and local transportation expenses that makes sense and with regard to red light camera vendors like American Traffic Solutions Texas mandates flat fee contracts to avoid encouraging ticket writing in Pennsylvania excess money is rerouted back to the State Transportation Department which then bundles up the money into competitive traffic safety grants for cities nice going guys unfortunately in Florida a large percent of its red light camera revenue goes through the city's general funds and to the traffic camera vendors and if you need direct proof that some red light cameras can be used to game the system look no further than an investigation in 2013 by a Tampa TV station Florida had a rule that said the length of the yellow light should either be based on the speed limit or how fast drivers were actually going in that area whichever was greater but 10 News found out that the Florida Department of Transportation erased those three little words in 2011 that meant shorter yellow lights and more tickets for you I knew it hey if you're liking this episode of wheelhouse hit that subscribe button let's get back to the story money isn't the only issue involved with red light cameras a deeper issue goes into preservation of constitutional rights our red light cameras infringing on individual freedoms a Texas representative leading the charge for doing away with red light cameras argues about privacy concerns with the cameras and that the Constitution tells us that we have a right to face arc user in court how can you face your accuser if it's a machine in Tacoma Washington a driver received a ticket accusing him of running a red light courtesy of the Australian camera vendor red flex red flicks red flicks Mike red flicks reflux reflux the tacoma resident wanted to face his accuser but was informed it would cost him six hundred seventy dollars in travel expenses to bring in a rid flicks an employee from out of state when it went to trial the judge involved in the case pointed out the Sixth Amendment right to face one's accuser and dismissed the charges drivers one camera vendors zip in Florida a guy tried to sue the small coastal town of Evan Tura claiming the city seated too much authority by allowing its red light camera vendor to review footage of possible violation the driver totally admitted to making an illegal right turn on red but argued that allowing the camera vender American Traffic Solutions to initially review footage before signing at the police created an unconstitutional filter that granted too much enforcement power to a third party the case went all the way to the state Supreme Court and the judges determined that private vendors can review footage so long as the decision to cite drivers remains with the city we were so close in another case that occurred in the small Township of new Miami Ohio side note if you ever visit new Miami the bus tickets there might be cheaper but you're not gonna fool your girlfriend nobody's wearing white big white shirts Chelsea police call me never had a cross my girl named Chelsea a family received five ninety five dollar speeding tickets in one day apparently the family got lost and passed the same traffic camera several times the case ended with a judge ruling that new Miami was violating drivers Ohio and US constitutional rights because cameras eliminate the possibility of due process a requirement under the Fifth Amendment Bill of Rights the judgment went on to explain that ticketed drivers would not be able to fairly defend themselves based on evidence testimony and question of witnesses because the city's witness would read a report written by the company that owns the traffic cameras which has a financial stake in the process and outcome in 2011 Los Angeles County stopped notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles when drivers failed to respond to red light camera tickets the Los Angeles County Superior Court decided it can't be proven that a driver promised to appear for a red light camera ticket because they're sent by mail and not issued on the side of the road by a police officer there's no way of knowing if the ticket was ever received in a the driver didn't sign a ticket like he or she would in a situation involving a police officer so go ahead and just ignore those tickets so if red-light cameras are just lining pockets and borderline unconstitutional why the heck do we even deal with them probably grumblings by a significant portion of the public there's research that shows red-light cameras may reduce fatalities an investigation by the IIHS revealed more than 800 people died in u.s. crashes involving running red lights in 2016 this represents an increase of 17 percent since 2012 this high came as fewer US communities are using red light cameras causation or just correlation you see many red light running accidents can result in what's called t-bone crashes t-bone crashes get their names because they're rare and sometimes bloody because it's a side impact crash t-bone crashes are most likely to result in death or serious injury the latest study done by the IIHS indicates getting rid of red light cameras could be deadly traffic deaths from red light running crashes increased by nearly a third after cities turn off the cameras designed to catch drivers in the act in the IIHS study researchers compared trends and annual crash rates and cities that have ended their camera programs with those in cities in the same regions that continued with theirs what they found was that red light running crashes went up 30% in cities where they got rid of cameras in addition all kinds of crashes at intersections with traffic signals went up 16% suggesting that red light cameras deter other behaviors by drivers in addition to running red lights so they work not so fast other studies have indicated that red light cameras increase the likelihood of rear-end crashes however it's important to note that rear-end crashes are more likely to be minor with far fewer fatalities and injuries than t-bone crashes but far less tasty last year Dayton Ohio rebooted its traffic camera program after a two-year hiatus during that time without a camera system in place between 2014 and 2016 Dayton saw a 40% increase in poverty and injury crashes with the new program installed officials and law enforcement expect to see that percent go the opposite direction Russ Rader who works for IIHS gives a thumbs-up to red-light cameras he believes there's no doubt that lives will be lost in communities that remove their camera systems one of the problems he's observed is certain city's attitude towards the red-light cameras many sees implement red-light cameras and see dollar signs in their eyes when the system should be viewed as strictly a safety measure opponents of the red-light cameras have proposed longer yellow lights longer yellow lights would give drivers more time to slow down and according to researchers at Virginia Tech increasing the length of a yellow light by even half a second can dramatically decrease the number of crashes at an intersection taking its cues from the study the Florida Department of Transportation opted to lengthen yellow lights at all red light camera intersections the Department says this move will promote safety and squash any lingering suspicions Floridians have that the Sunshine States cities have shortened yellow light times to boost ticket revenue like it had in the past for national safety organizations have been created and last month they released a red light camera checklist for local policymakers law enforcement agencies and transportation officials the checklist offers guidelines and instructions for planning implementing and evaluating red light camera programs including ways to help communities build and maintain public support the recipe for a successful red light camera program is to place the cameras at dangerous intersections and then monitor safety data to make sure an improvement occurs the city should also post signs alerting drivers to wear red light cameras are in operation this shouldn't be a gotcha situation for the driver the main aim of the program should be not to ticket the motorist but to get them to stop at the red light money collected through the red light camera program should be used exclusively for traffic safety programs it's a sure bet more people are alive today as a direct result of these devices be the matches the world's largest and most diverse donor Registry helping blood cancer patients around the world find the life-saving bone marrow or embezzle cord blood transplants they need so how can you help first click the link in the description you'll answer a short medical health history questionnaire and if you're eligible be the match will send you a little envelope like this which has a cheek swab it's in it you swab the inside your cheek send it back send it to be the match and they'll let you know if you can help save a life I know this is really serious but it's really important because every three minutes someone in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia so hit the link sign up swab your cheek and see if you could save a life would be the match we look at the issues that affect you in the car world every week here on wheelhouse so hit that yellow subscribe button it means a lot follow don't on Instagram ad donut media follow me at Nolan J Sykes if you want to know more about law enforcement in the car world check out this episode of wheelhouse on cop cars if you want to know more about safe cars check out this episode of up-to-speed be nice see you next timeOh donut Long Islanders awoke to a new report on controversial red-light cameras purely a revenue generating device big tickets big fines red-light cameras make some people see red and others see green are these camera programs a legit safety solution or simply a cash cow for city budgets is Big Brother watching me I hope so hey Craig he's my big brother red light cameras were introduced with the intention of making intersections safer the logic is that if someone sees a sign that says red light photo enforced and knows that we photograph they'll think twice before speeding through a red light however in Florida drivers caught light red light cameras in 2012 paid more than a hundred million dollars in traffic fines that same year in Washington DC red light cameras brought in nearly 12 million dollars many see the cameras as nothing more than a way for seeds to make some easy money by slapping fines on drivers which leads the public to ask how are these red light camera programs run who's in charge whoa 99.99% of government entities have contracts with private companies and these organizations install the cameras and usually charge communities a fee for the camera rental each month at an intersection with the camera sensors cue the cameras whenever a violation occurs the camera shoots video of the offender and sends it to analysts at the camera company for a closer inspection if the analysts think the situation warrants a ticket they forward the video to local law enforcement agents who review it again ultimately law enforcement officers have the final say about whether or not a driver receives a citation as a result of this activity in the fiscal year of 2013 Florida collected about 53% of revenue from red light cameras in 76 jurisdictions across the state a total of 52 million dollars that's three times the amount the state collected in 2011 Miami with its 148 red light cameras pumped more than six million dollars into the state's coffers and take it from me you don't want to talk to Miami before it's had its coffer with kind of serious cash being generated you might be wondering where all that money ends up the answer is as varied as the number of times Drake's than emotion like I'm actually not that guy in real life I'm very happy luckily there are some states that limit where any excess revenue generated from the red light program can go Texas for example it keeps a close eye on its earnings any revenue in excess of what it costs the cities to run the programs goes to trauma care centers that treat car crash victims and local transportation expenses that makes sense and with regard to red light camera vendors like American Traffic Solutions Texas mandates flat fee contracts to avoid encouraging ticket writing in Pennsylvania excess money is rerouted back to the State Transportation Department which then bundles up the money into competitive traffic safety grants for cities nice going guys unfortunately in Florida a large percent of its red light camera revenue goes through the city's general funds and to the traffic camera vendors and if you need direct proof that some red light cameras can be used to game the system look no further than an investigation in 2013 by a Tampa TV station Florida had a rule that said the length of the yellow light should either be based on the speed limit or how fast drivers were actually going in that area whichever was greater but 10 News found out that the Florida Department of Transportation erased those three little words in 2011 that meant shorter yellow lights and more tickets for you I knew it hey if you're liking this episode of wheelhouse hit that subscribe button let's get back to the story money isn't the only issue involved with red light cameras a deeper issue goes into preservation of constitutional rights our red light cameras infringing on individual freedoms a Texas representative leading the charge for doing away with red light cameras argues about privacy concerns with the cameras and that the Constitution tells us that we have a right to face arc user in court how can you face your accuser if it's a machine in Tacoma Washington a driver received a ticket accusing him of running a red light courtesy of the Australian camera vendor red flex red flicks red flicks Mike red flicks reflux reflux the tacoma resident wanted to face his accuser but was informed it would cost him six hundred seventy dollars in travel expenses to bring in a rid flicks an employee from out of state when it went to trial the judge involved in the case pointed out the Sixth Amendment right to face one's accuser and dismissed the charges drivers one camera vendors zip in Florida a guy tried to sue the small coastal town of Evan Tura claiming the city seated too much authority by allowing its red light camera vendor to review footage of possible violation the driver totally admitted to making an illegal right turn on red but argued that allowing the camera vender American Traffic Solutions to initially review footage before signing at the police created an unconstitutional filter that granted too much enforcement power to a third party the case went all the way to the state Supreme Court and the judges determined that private vendors can review footage so long as the decision to cite drivers remains with the city we were so close in another case that occurred in the small Township of new Miami Ohio side note if you ever visit new Miami the bus tickets there might be cheaper but you're not gonna fool your girlfriend nobody's wearing white big white shirts Chelsea police call me never had a cross my girl named Chelsea a family received five ninety five dollar speeding tickets in one day apparently the family got lost and passed the same traffic camera several times the case ended with a judge ruling that new Miami was violating drivers Ohio and US constitutional rights because cameras eliminate the possibility of due process a requirement under the Fifth Amendment Bill of Rights the judgment went on to explain that ticketed drivers would not be able to fairly defend themselves based on evidence testimony and question of witnesses because the city's witness would read a report written by the company that owns the traffic cameras which has a financial stake in the process and outcome in 2011 Los Angeles County stopped notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles when drivers failed to respond to red light camera tickets the Los Angeles County Superior Court decided it can't be proven that a driver promised to appear for a red light camera ticket because they're sent by mail and not issued on the side of the road by a police officer there's no way of knowing if the ticket was ever received in a the driver didn't sign a ticket like he or she would in a situation involving a police officer so go ahead and just ignore those tickets so if red-light cameras are just lining pockets and borderline unconstitutional why the heck do we even deal with them probably grumblings by a significant portion of the public there's research that shows red-light cameras may reduce fatalities an investigation by the IIHS revealed more than 800 people died in u.s. crashes involving running red lights in 2016 this represents an increase of 17 percent since 2012 this high came as fewer US communities are using red light cameras causation or just correlation you see many red light running accidents can result in what's called t-bone crashes t-bone crashes get their names because they're rare and sometimes bloody because it's a side impact crash t-bone crashes are most likely to result in death or serious injury the latest study done by the IIHS indicates getting rid of red light cameras could be deadly traffic deaths from red light running crashes increased by nearly a third after cities turn off the cameras designed to catch drivers in the act in the IIHS study researchers compared trends and annual crash rates and cities that have ended their camera programs with those in cities in the same regions that continued with theirs what they found was that red light running crashes went up 30% in cities where they got rid of cameras in addition all kinds of crashes at intersections with traffic signals went up 16% suggesting that red light cameras deter other behaviors by drivers in addition to running red lights so they work not so fast other studies have indicated that red light cameras increase the likelihood of rear-end crashes however it's important to note that rear-end crashes are more likely to be minor with far fewer fatalities and injuries than t-bone crashes but far less tasty last year Dayton Ohio rebooted its traffic camera program after a two-year hiatus during that time without a camera system in place between 2014 and 2016 Dayton saw a 40% increase in poverty and injury crashes with the new program installed officials and law enforcement expect to see that percent go the opposite direction Russ Rader who works for IIHS gives a thumbs-up to red-light cameras he believes there's no doubt that lives will be lost in communities that remove their camera systems one of the problems he's observed is certain city's attitude towards the red-light cameras many sees implement red-light cameras and see dollar signs in their eyes when the system should be viewed as strictly a safety measure opponents of the red-light cameras have proposed longer yellow lights longer yellow lights would give drivers more time to slow down and according to researchers at Virginia Tech increasing the length of a yellow light by even half a second can dramatically decrease the number of crashes at an intersection taking its cues from the study the Florida Department of Transportation opted to lengthen yellow lights at all red light camera intersections the Department says this move will promote safety and squash any lingering suspicions Floridians have that the Sunshine States cities have shortened yellow light times to boost ticket revenue like it had in the past for national safety organizations have been created and last month they released a red light camera checklist for local policymakers law enforcement agencies and transportation officials the checklist offers guidelines and instructions for planning implementing and evaluating red light camera programs including ways to help communities build and maintain public support the recipe for a successful red light camera program is to place the cameras at dangerous intersections and then monitor safety data to make sure an improvement occurs the city should also post signs alerting drivers to wear red light cameras are in operation this shouldn't be a gotcha situation for the driver the main aim of the program should be not to ticket the motorist but to get them to stop at the red light money collected through the red light camera program should be used exclusively for traffic safety programs it's a sure bet more people are alive today as a direct result of these devices be the matches the world's largest and most diverse donor Registry helping blood cancer patients around the world find the life-saving bone marrow or embezzle cord blood transplants they need so how can you help first click the link in the description you'll answer a short medical health history questionnaire and if you're eligible be the match will send you a little envelope like this which has a cheek swab it's in it you swab the inside your cheek send it back send it to be the match and they'll let you know if you can help save a life I know this is really serious but it's really important because every three minutes someone in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia so hit the link sign up swab your cheek and see if you could save a life would be the match we look at the issues that affect you in the car world every week here on wheelhouse so hit that yellow subscribe button it means a lot follow don't on Instagram ad donut media follow me at Nolan J Sykes if you want to know more about law enforcement in the car world check out this episode of wheelhouse on cop cars if you want to know more about safe cars check out this episode of up-to-speed be nice see you next time