Getting the Green Light or Hitting the Brakes?
Typical Criticisms of Red Light Camera Programs
Alec Slatky, AAA Northeast
IIHS Red Light Camera Forum
July 28, 2016
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: IIHS
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Source: IIHS
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2008 2008 2012 2012 2015 2015
Strongly support Somewhat support Strongly oppose Somewhat oppose
Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
Source: AAA New York surveys
50%
52%
54%
56%
58%
60%
62%
64%
66%
68%
70%
2008 2011 2015
Su
pp
ort
fo
r R
ed L
igh
t C
amer
as i
n N
Y
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index, 2014
Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index, 2014
Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?
Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?
Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?
McCartt and Echelberger, Attitudes Toward Red Light Camera Enforcement in Cities With Camera Programs, 2012
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Other
Police should enforce violations
Red light running is not a problem
Camera programs cost too much
Should have longer yellow/all-red
Cameras won't deter people
Flash is distracting
Invasion of privacy
Makes the intersection less safe
Focus is money, not safety
Cameras can make mistakes
Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?
Cicchino, Wells, and McCartt, Survey About Pedestrian Safety and Attitudes Toward Automated Traffic Enforcement in Washington, D.C., 2013
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Makes the intersection less safe
Red light running is not a big problem
Cameras can't tell if drivers are in intersection
Focus is on raising revenue, not safety
Cameras make mistakes
Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?
Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily
aimed at raising revenue
Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily
aimed at raising revenue
• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose
Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily
aimed at raising revenue
• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose
• Overestimating revenue
Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily
aimed at raising revenue
• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose
• Overestimating revenue
• Post-mortem focuses on lost revenue
Is this fair?
Is this fair?
But…• Would your program still be running if it cost money?
• Would your program still be running if it didn’t make
money?
Solutions - Money• Reinvest all revenue (above cost) into traffic safety
measures – without robbing Peter to pay Paul
• Select intersections with lots of red light crashes, not
with lots of violations but few crashes
• Keep the vendor out of the site selection process
Mistakes• “I didn’t run the red light”
• “It wasn’t my car”
• “I wasn’t driving”
Solutions - Mistakes• Include video with every citation
o If cameras don’t have video, retrofit them at the next contract
• Hire a red light camera ombudsman – with authority
• At least allow for indemnification against the driver
Right on Red
McCartt and Echelberger, Attitudes Toward Red Light Camera Enforcement in Cities With Camera Programs, 2012
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Other
Cameras are too expensive
Too many gray areas
Focus is money, not safety
Cameras can make mistakes
Should be able to make right if safe
Right-on-red is legal
Right-on-red violations not a problem
Right on Red
Dayton Daily News, Senator Going After Traffic Cameras Got a Ticket from one in 2010
• “The all-seeing eye of Big Brother in the camera
determines with NFL instant-replay accuracy that
you did not come to a full and complete stop. And
therefore here is your $100 ticket for having violated
our ordinance.”
State Senator Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati
Solutions – Right on Red• Evaluate No Turn on Red restrictions
• Put up warning signs
• Conduct public education campaigns
• Collect video of right-on-red collisions
• Show discretion
Amber Light Timing
Solutions – Amber Timing• Get your ducks in a row
• Don’t be stingy with amber times
• Consider lengthening amber times
• Use cameras to capture prevailing speed
• Be transparent
• Give a grace period
Transparency• Better to freely distribute information to all parties
Solutions – Transparency• Open data, open data, open data
• Crash data by intersection, with large sample size
• Incorporate control intersections
• Violation spreadsheets
Due Process• You can’t convince everyone
Solutions – Due Process• Issue warning notices for each camera – or one
“Get Out of Jail Free” card
• Put up warning signs
• Have a statute of limitations
• Allow pleas of not-guilty by mail
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