Traffic Safety Group Counters Red Light Cam Propaganda With Brutal Truth

You’ve probably heard some variant of the saying “If slaughterhouses had windows, there would be a lot more vegetarians.” Well, if this video from the Traffic Safety Coalition were aired at every debate over red light cameras, there would be a hell of a lot more red light cameras. Brace yourself before you hit play. There are some graphic moments.

The uninformed, misleading blather from the talking heads, car lobbyists, anti-government conspiracy theorists and self-entitled drivers, all professing distrust and contempt for automated traffic enforcement, is rendered moot by jarring footage of real-life collisions. Interspersed are slides citing national and local data showing that red light collisions kill — 676 dead and 113,000 injured in 2009 alone — and red light cams save lives.

The coalition has a multi-faceted membership representing traffic safety, law enforcement, health care, victim’s advocacy, government and industry sectors, with a goal of improving safety for all street users nationwide.

With a speed camera bill coming up in Albany this session, the following may be of particular interest to New York residents: The coalition reports that speeds in Portland, Oregon dropped by an average of 5 mph in photo-enforced school zones.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Insurance Institute Study: Red Light Cameras Reduce Traffic Deaths

|
A new study shows that, despite their supposed reputation as government revenue collectors, red light cameras are saving lives. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that red light cameras prevented 159 deaths between 2004 and 2008 in 14 of the largest cities in the U.S., and that 815 deaths would have been prevented had […]

Red Light Cam Expansion Gets All Clear From Gantt

|
Red-light running "events" have declined dramatically where cameras have been installed. Source: NYCDOT. New York City’s red light cam program is on track to expand by 50 percent, pending legislation currently winding through Albany. Since 1994, the city has run a red light camera "demonstration program" — with proven safety benefits — which has to […]

Cameras Reduce Crashes, Red-Light Running in Newark

|
One year after Newark installed cameras at its most dangerous intersections, crashes and instances of red-light running were down by sizable margins. According to the Traffic Safety Coalition, the city has reduced crashes by 16 percent and red light running violations by 40 percent at intersections with cameras — a total of 10 across Newark. […]

David Gantt, Longtime Foe of Red-Light Cams, Changes Tune

|
One of Albany’s chief foes of automated traffic enforcement appears to have softened his opposition to red-light cameras, but allegations of patronage may taint his turnaround. For years, State Assembly Member David Gantt, a Rochester Democrat, has used his position as chair of the transportation committee to block the expansion of red-light cameras in New […]