Red Light Cameras Coming Down | WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio's News ...

Not a speeder wrote:

Hangamn is wrong...
There is a bigger issue with getting hit in the rear end by some tailgater. It is a proven fact (yes they have studied this) that there are more accidents involved with red light cameras than without. The cameras cause those drivers that seem to be "caught in the middle" to slam on the brakes thus causing the person behind to rear end them.
Don't get me wrong, the driver behind should maintain a safe clear distance but the accident fact remains.

I'm interested in the study you refer to, would you be so kind as to point me in the direction of the study you quote?

Pan,

The facts your are looking for about short yellows or "shorties" can be found at motorists.org

Seven cities have been caught short-timing the yellows, Chicago among them, see for yourself at
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrBFagel

Your logic about all the residents that voted out cameras being law breakers trumps the ill informed

1) A Long Term Study of Red-Light Cameras and Accidents
David Andreassen
Australian Road Research Board
February, 1995
“There has been no demonstrated value of the RLC as an effective countermeasure.”
Download The Full Study
2) The Impact of Red Light Cameras (Photo-Red Enforcement) on Crashes in Virginia
Virginia Transportation Research Council
June 2007
“After cameras were installed, rear-end crashes increased for the entire six-jurisdiction study area… After controlling for time and traffic volume at each intersection, rear-end crash rates increased by an average of 27% for the entire study area.”
Download The Full Study
3) The Red-Light Running Crisis: Is It Intentional?
Office of the Majority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
May 2001
Quoted from the study:
“And one should ask the question, if there’s a problem with an intersection, why don’t safety engineers in the field just go out and fix the timing?
In fact, before red light cameras arrived in the United States, that’s exactly what our regulations instructed them to do. If too many people enter on red at an intersection, engineers were supposed to lengthen its yellow time. But in the year that red light cameras first started collecting millions in revenue on our shores, those entrusted with developing our traffic safety regulations dropped the requirement to fix signal timing, instructing engineers to “use enforcement” instead.
Every study claiming red light cameras increase safety is written by the same man. Before joining the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), he was a top transportation official in New York City at the time the city began looking into becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to install red light cameras. In other words, the father of the red light camera in America is the same individual offering the “objective” testimony that they are effective.
In short, the only documented benefit to red light cameras is to the pocketbook of local governments who use the devices to collect millions in revenue.”
Download The Full Study
4) Investigation Of Crash Risk Reduction Resulting From Red-Light Cameras In Small Urban Areas
Mark Burkey, Ph.D. & Kofi Obeng, Ph.D.
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
July 2004
Quoted from the study:
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.”
Download The Full Study
5) Evaluation of the Red-Light-Camera-Enforcement Pilot Project
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
December 2003
In fact, the non-camera intersections fared better than the camera intersections in every accident category.
Quoted from the study:
“Exhibit 2 indicates the red light running treatments have:
* Contributed to a 4.9 per cent increase in fatal and injury rear-end collisions; and
* Contributed to a 49.9 per cent increase in property damage only rear-end collisions.
The rear-end collision results are similar to findings in other red light camera studies.”
Download The Full Study
This is by no means an exhaustive list. You can find more studies on the NMA website here: Photo Enforcement Studies.

This list had to be edited due to the 4,000 character limit.

just think if the city would time lights the way they should we could stop having to buy oil from the towel heads and save billions.after all there are some roads that if you go the speed limit or as i knew in my youth if you go twice or three times the speed limit you will never get stopped for a red light for miles and miles.

Barnet wrote:

1)
“After cameras were installed, rear-end crashes increased for the entire six-jurisdiction study area… After controlling for time and traffic volume at each intersection, rear-end crash rates increased by an average of 27% for the entire study area.”
Download The Full Study

The data on red light cameras on the NHTSA states that the amount of rear impact crashes at lights with the implementations increases to an amount almost proportional to the amount of side impact crashes at those same locations. However, speed is reduced and the type of injuries involved are not as severe as the side impact crashes.

In other words, the deadlier side impact crashes are replaced by rear impact crashes at these locations. The injury rate greatly decreases statistically.

So to say that rear impact crashes *increase* at these intersections with cameras is manipulative and plays on ignorance in the reader in not looking at the OTHER half of the data. Not that it's news that you can read the same statistic to sound pretty much however you want it to be heard. But it's not right and it's not fair to the truth. Don't distort data to get your point across.

Who cares if it trades one type of crash for another, the point is that the red light cameras do nothing to hinder crashes and they do not stop crashes. The camera is there as a money maker, plain and simple. The fact that local agencies change the timings of the lights to shorter yellow lights to increase profits is just disgusting, dangerous, and proves that the government doesn't care about any citizen's well being, they only care about money.

Southeastern wrote:

Who cares if it trades one type of crash for another,

Who cares? You wouldn't think there is a difference between your being severely injured or killed versus having whiplash and a roughed up bumper?

Well, in your circumstance, I would agree with you.

Justmycomment wrote:

The voters have spoken- I am curious to see what people have to say that do not live or travel on 79 in Heath. This had gotten such media attention.
Surely it would be nice to see some comments, if you are for or against cameras in any community.

I don't live in heath,but I DID travel through heath and DID my shopping. I agree with the cameras being shut down. Not because I like to speed. It made me made when they went up and my freinds in heath had no say and that affects us all as americans. Before they were put up,the officers would pull you over for yuor violation and say he had to read and explain why they were giving you a ticket and your told you have to sign it that you agree the officer explained it to you, But when the CAMERAS went up,none of that was suddenly true. With all the people out of work and why not hire a few more officers to patrol. You didn't here even once the money that came from all those bogus tickets that they were going to hire more officers with the money. It was all about money and making money. Also, If you noticed in the beginning of my comment I said I did come to heath for my shopping,as in past tense,I will be returning to heath and spending as I use to now. We spent well over $400 a week in heath until the lights went up and several of my neighbors did too,we all stop going out of respect for the residents and businesses of heath who were wronged. I think that if it was handled in a way that the people of heath had a say in the beginng,this MIGHT have been a differant outcome,I SAID MIGHT. Most think it was all the people whining about their ticket,it wasn't,it was about the people actually having a say in their own community.

p.s.-I have an opening for a booper scooper to cleanup after my dog,do you think the mayor needs a job:)

Bob wrote:

I hope I never hear someone from Heath complain that the cop who pulled them over for running a red light should be "out catching real criminals". Guess what, no traffic cameras = cops do more traffic and less "real" crime.

My qusetion is,where do live,obviously your mayor didn't just throw up cameras without your input and doesn't have to do with catching real criminals,it has to do with yuor right to have a say in your community.Also,the money they did collect from these tickets was never going to be used to put more cops on the road. We need more jobs for the communities and people,not some high priced cameras.You think the money they got from all the tickets will be used to make jobs,I don't think so. So when you make a comment about something you no nothing about,think about if they did it in your community. You don't know that facts and you haven't been doing business in that area to know it hurt heath businesses also,bad.

Bob wrote:

Guess what, no traffic cameras = cops do more traffic and less "real" crime.

Guess what? YOU ARE WRONG. Police do not perform traffic patrol INSTEAD of responding to crime calls. The truth of the matter is that police have too much time on their hands as it is, especially if they have time to sit on the side of the road running radar.

MKs wrote:

<quoted text>
The data on red light cameras on the NHTSA states that...

NHTSA has been lying about alcohol related crashes for years, to the point where the Government Accounting Office has called them on the carpet for it and now NHTSA has revised their statistics to reflect that organizations have caught on to their cooking of the books.

Therefore, I don't really give a rat's ass about what NHTSA is lying about in regards to red light cameras, because NHTSA is run by special interest groups that want to sell the cameras and sell bigger governemnt.

My complements to the people that promoted the banning of these cameras. I hope this catches on until it turns into a state wide issue. It is high time that we forced local law enforcement to focus more on traffic safety and less on just collecting money for their city coffers.

Perhaps we can also ban these local police departments like Reynoldsburg, Hilliard, Obetz, Grove City, etc., from setting out on major interstates like I-270. They should be patrolling their own communities. They should not be setting out on 270, collecting revenue for their town from passers by. They actually create a traffic hazard by doing so. They create traffic jams when people see them and slow down below the speed limit.

black_bart wrote:

<quoted text>
NHTSA has been lying about alcohol related crashes for years, to the point where the Government Accounting Office has called them on the carpet for it and now NHTSA has revised their statistics to reflect that organizations have caught on to their cooking of the books.
Therefore, I don't really give a rat's **** about what NHTSA is lying about in regards to red light cameras, because NHTSA is run by special interest groups that want to sell the cameras and sell bigger governemnt.

Thanks for the laugh. Please enlighten me about the Illuminati and the truth about the moon landing.

buceye wrote:

<quoted text>your always gonna hear that lol the truth is obey the law nobody agrees on everything do your job to obey the law nomatter where you are at things will work taxes pays their salaries

Buceye.......I've read your comments and observed your ability to use the English language. Please, do us all a favor & take the time you're playing on the computer to become more literate & spare us your idea on how to run a city.

Rita of Waverly wrote:

So now when will the cameras be shut off?

Noone can find the switch!!! They should pay back everyone who got a ticket also!!!

Curious wrote:

Just wondering how much money the camera makers get from each photo enforced ticket... I also heard a rumor that they set the length of time for the yellow lights a bit shorter... Any truth to this?

Folks are catching on! The camera mercenaries come to town for one reason only. To make money.

Not every city is guilty of shortening the yellow light, but some have done it. It is very tempting because short yellows greatly increase violations and revenue. Sadly it also increases accidents. go to www.thenewspaper.com on the right side in blue, click on "red light camera studies roundup"