Policy

Red Light Cameras Go to Polls as Study Shows Their Dangers

But they still rake in cash, right?

|

As Election Day nears, opponents of red light cameras in Murrieta, California are making the case that photo enforcement has not made the city safer. Measure N on the November 6 ballot gives residents the opportunity to decide whether American Traffic Solutions (ATS) should continue to issue $500 tickets in the city, or the firm should be send packing. A new analysis of traffic accidents at photo enforced intersections in the city provides powerful ammunition to camera opponents who dispute the safety claims of proponents.

Safer Streets LA Executive Director Jay Beeber used the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System to examine accident rates before and after the installation of traffic cameras. Beeber's investigation of collision data in Los Angeles helped convince local leaders to end the program in California's largest city. Beeber believes Murrieta's cameras have not helped public safety.