Traffic Cameras Are Not About Safety
Traffic cameras pushers like to claim that Automated Ticketing Machines are about safety…and that’s certainly how they try to bill the revenue-generating machines to a safety-conscious public. In fact, you might have even heard that there are a few studies that claim to show that accidents are reduced with the use of Automated Ticketing Machines. However, some have raised concerns about the funding for those studies, that they are conducted by people that benefit from their use and that their methods don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny.
There are a variety of studies from different sources that show that they either fail in their mission to make intersections safer – and in many cases safety is actually reduced when Automated Ticketing Machines move in!
Here are links to some of the studies:
- From the Urban Transit Institute, Transportation Institute North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Study executive summary, “The results do not support the view that red light cameras reduce crashes. Instead, we find that RLCs are associated with higher levels of many types and severity categories of crashes.”
- The City of Grande Prairie Administrative Report found that after a full year of use, cameras generated $1.2 million in revenue along with a 126 percent increase in injury collisions.
- Colorado: Accident Data Ignored in Red Light Camera Expansion – Aurora, Colorado wants more red light cameras despite lack of demonstrable safety benefit.
- An analysis published in the journal of the Florida Public Health Association argues that, contrary to common assumptions, the use of red light cameras leads to increases in insurance rates and injury accidents.
- From the Virginia Transportation Research Council report, “The cameras were associated with an increase in total crashes… The aggregate EB results suggested that this increase was 29%… The cameras were associated with an increase in the frequency of injury crashes… The aggregate EB results suggested an 18% increase, although the point estimates for individual jurisdictions were substantially higher (59%, 79%, or 89% increases) or lower (6% increase or a 5% decrease).”
- From the Texas Transportation Institute report, “It is also likely that there is a point of diminishing returns where further increases in enforcement effort bring little additional safety benefit,” and, “If the frequency of violations is excessive, the violations are most likely caused by congestion, dense traffic streams, or conditions that make it difficult for drivers to stop.”
- The number of traffic accidents doubled at locations where red light cameras were installed in Peoria, Arizona, according to data released at a city council study session.
- At a Baytown, Texas intersection, looking at a period eighteen months before the installation of cameras compared to the same period afterward, the total number of collisions grew by 11 percent.
- Texas: Red Light Cameras Boost League City Accidents – A look at preliminary accident data shows no improvement at red light camera intersections in League City, Texas.
- From Gardena, California Chief of Police Inter-Department Memo, “Our research in Gardena has revealed there is no significant traffic safety impact as a result of the use of the red light cameras.”
- From the Washington Post Article, D.C. Red-Light Cameras Fail to Reduce Accidents, “Three outside traffic specialists independently reviewed the data and said they were surprised by the results. Their conclusion: The cameras do not appear to be making any difference in preventing injuries or collisions.”
- From KSDK.com NBC 5, Washington, Missouri putting the brakes on red light cameras, “Over a period of three years, citations dropped; but accidents did not see a big dent in the numbers, according to Chief Hahn.”
- Documents from San Diego that prove cameras were deliberately placed at short-timed intersections – view city documents
- From the Chicago Tribune, Red-light cameras: First 14 installed in suburbs show mixed results, “If improved safety is the goal of red-light cameras, then it is a mission largely unaccomplished for the first crop of area suburbs that raced to install the devices after they became legal in 2006, according to state data.”
- From Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care report on Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, “RLC do not seem to prevent traffic collisions at this monitored intersection. Alternative means of injury prevention must be investigated.”
- From the Los Angeles Times, Red-light cameras haven’t improved safety, L.A. city controller says
- From Science Daily, Red-Light Cameras Increase Crashes, Florida Researchers Find, “The rigorous studies clearly show red-light cameras don’t work,” said lead author Barbara Langland-Orban, professor and chair of health policy and management at the USF College of Public Health…Instead, they increase crashes and injuries as drivers attempt to abruptly stop at camera intersections. If used in Florida, cameras could potentially create even worse outcomes due to the state’s high percent of elderly who are more likely to be injured or killed when a crash occurs.”
- Two More California Cities Reject Red Light Cameras
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-02-13
- The senate bill has been introduced – we only have a few hours to get more co-sponsors. Spread the word and act… http://fb.me/SvFV4yYs #
Contact Your State Senator to Co-Sponsor SB 5716
Your hard work and persistence paid off – in a big way – this past week. Washington State Campaign for Liberty’s bill to remove the bad traffic camera law from the books, HB 1823, was introduced with 31 cosponsors.
That’s one out of every three representatives in the Washington State House!
Now it’s time to double down
We’ve worked to have an repeal bill introduced in the State Senate. The bill number is SB 5716, and it was submitted just this morning. It is the companion bill to HB 1823 – “Repealing the authorization for automated traffic safety cameras”.
Here’s another opportunity where you can make an immediate difference.
Call / email / fax your Senators today and urge them to co-sponsor SB 5716 repealing Automated Ticketing Machines.
The deadline for co-sponsorship will be today – Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 2:00 PM.
Look up your senator’s contact information here.
Consider writing something like this:
“SB 5716 is being circulated regarding the repeal of state laws that allow the use of traffic cameras. As a voter in your district, please know that I and many of my neighbors support this legislation.
Studies done by those that have no financial interest in Automatic Ticketing Machines reveal that traffic cameras actually cause more accidents. I certainly support ways to make our streets safer but there are engineered methods that are effective, Automated Ticketing Machines are not.
I strongly encourage your support of this bill. Please consider co-sponsorship of SB 5716, the deadline is today, Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 2:00 PM.
Time is short
The way bill introduction works in Washington State, co-sponsors can only be added for a limited time after the bill’s official introduction. The cutoff to co-sponsor will be today – Tuesday Feb. 8th at 2:00 PM.
Senators from both parties have already signed on:
- Don Benton – 17th LD
- Paull Shin – 21st LD
- Mike Carrell – 28th LD
- Pam Roach – 31st LD
- Maralyn Chase – 32nd LD
- Tim Sheldon – 35th LD
- Val Stevens – 39th LD – PRIME SPONSOR
It’s important to act quickly!
Our opponents at the city level, who have become addicted to the revenue stream, and are willing to put you and your family at risk with these unsafe ATMs, have begun their campaign to stop our effort.
I was told by many of the Senators and their staff that calls and e-mails are being received from revenue-seeking cities that oppose our effort to ban ATMs.
In fact, one Senator told me he wouldn’t cosponsor the bill because he was afraid he “would upset the cities” in his district!
In 2005 our legislature passed a bad law – now its time to contact them and demand they take it off the books!
Support SB 5716 that simply repeals Automated Ticketing Machines.
Contact your representative today!
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-02-06
- Come to "Testify Against Traffic Cameras!" Tomorrow from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. There are several bills introduced in… http://fb.me/DbMlbfUO #
- Washington State Bill to Repeal Automated Ticketing Machines- 26 House Representative sponsors and counting! #
- Contact your State Representative to co-sponsor HB 1823 – "Repealing the authorization for automated traffic… http://fb.me/GNSHslcx #
- Action Alert: Contact you representative to co-sponsor HB 1823 – the bill repealing Automated Ticketing Machines! http://fb.me/DpTgH2AS #
- Contact your representative today to urge their co-sponsorship of our Automated Ticketing Machine repeal bill! http://fb.me/Sc6Boz4e #
Contact Your State Rep to Co-Sponsor HB 1823
We filled the hearing room in Olympia yesterday to speak out against traffic cameras. We didn’t show up just to complain, but came bearing a solution.
Washington State Campaign for Liberty wrote language for a bill repealing the state law that allows Automated Ticketing Machines – or as the politicians like to call them, “traffic safety cameras”. We identified a bill sponsor in the State House, and have begun recruiting co-sponsors.
The bill is HB 1823 – “Repealing the authorization for automated traffic safety cameras.”
Here’s an opportunity where you can make an immediate difference.
Call / email / fax your State House Representatives today and urge them to co-sponsor HB 1823 repealing Automated Ticketing Machines.
The deadline for co-sponsorship will be Thursday, Feb. 3rd at 2pm.
Look up your representative’s contact information here.
Consider writing something like this:
“There is a bill being circulated regarding the repeal of state laws that allow the use of traffic cameras – HB 1823. As a voter in your district, please know that I and many of my neighbors support this legislation.
Many studies reveal that traffic cameras actually reduce safety. I certainly support ways to make our streets safer but there are engineered methods that are effective, Automated Ticketing Machines are not.
I strongly encourage your support of this bill. Please consider co-sponsorship of HB 1823, the deadline is Thursday, Feb. 3rd at 2pm.”
The way bill introduction works in Washington State, co-sponsors can only be added for a limited time after the bill’s official introduction. The cutoff to co-sponsor will be Thursday, Feb. 3rd at 2pm.
Many legislators – from both parties – have signed on already:
- Rep. McCune – 2nd LD
- Rep. Shea – 4th LD
- Rep. Crouse – 4th LD
- Rep. Rodne – 5th LD
- Rep. Kretz – 7th LD
- Rep. Short – 7th LD
- Rep. Haler – 8th LD
- Rep. Schmick – 9th LD
- Rep. Condotta – 12th LD
- Rep. Johnson – 14th LD
- Rep. Taylor – 15th LD
- Rep. Walsh – 16th LD
- Rep. Orcutt – 18th LD
- Rep. Blake – 19th LD
- Rep. Liias – 21st LD
- Rep. Zeiger – 25th LD
- Rep. Dammeier – 25th LD
- Rep. Green – 28th LD
- Rep. Kirby – 29th LD
- Rep. Miloscia – 30th LD
- Rep. Hurst – 31st LD
- Rep. Upthegrove – 33rd LD
- Rep. Haigh – 35th LD
- Rep. Morris – 40th LD – PRIME SPONSOR
- Rep. Overstreet – 42nd LD
- Rep. Goodman – 45th LD
It’s important to act quickly!
There have been bills introduced this year modifying the law allowing Automated Ticketing Machines. The bills tinker with requiring mandatory study periods, lengthening the “yellow change interval” at intersections, etc.
These are prime examples of trying to make a bad law into a law that is “less bad”. The tinkering bills would make the law worse than it already is!
If there is a bad law on the books, the right thing to do is to repeal the law.
Support HB 1823 that simply repeals Automated Ticketing Machines.
Contact your representative today!
