Mount Carmel wrecks drop 34 percent after cameras go up
Timesnews.net - Kingsport, TN
January 19, 2009
DPS program saving three lives per month
On December 29, 2008, the Arizona Department of Public Safety released statistics found from the first 80 days of the program. According to DPS, property crashes were reduced by -12%, injury crashes by -17%, and fatality collisions by -29%. The statistics were derived from a comparison to collisions on the metro Phoenix freeway system from September 26, 2007 to December 16, 2007. On average, this is three lives per month being saved on valley freeways. “Speed is usually a primary or secondary factor in most serious injury and fatal collisions,” said DPS spokesman Bart Graves. The program saw similar success in late November with Operation Border to Border. On November 26, 2008, DPS, in partnership with Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), placed 42 mobile units along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40 in Arizona. Accidents dropped from 29 in 2007 to 2 in 2008. The program currently uses a combination of fixed-speed and mobile-speed units along the state highways.
Texas study released shows red light cameras cut collisions by 30%
November 2008
New data from Texas A&M University's Texas Transportation Institute shows that monitored intersections had an overall 30 percent decrease in collisions.
The state-mandated report released by the Texas Department of Transportation examined data from 56 intersections across the state, including many in Houston, from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2007. The report states that the cameras could be changing driver behavior.
"While these results cannot conclusively determine that red light cameras are responsible for the overall reduction in crashes . . . the presence of the treatment provided some effect on the frequency of crashes at the selected intersections for the limited time period of this analysis," the report states.
The study examined crashes at select intersections from 12 cities that were required to report accidents under state law. The data show that right angle collisions were reduced by 43 percent.
Study Findings from Survey Interviews:
-99% of survey people acknowledge the dangers of running a red light
-56% of people admit to running them anyway
Empirical Data from Intersections:
-Overall accidents down -30%
-Right Angle accidents down -43%
-66% of the intersections saw a reduction in rear end accidents
For the study, please go to:
ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trf/final_report_rlc_1008.pdf
Iowa State Court ruling allows photo enforcement to continue in Iowa cities
Iowa State Court ruling allows photo enforcement to continue in Iowa cities
A year of controversy ended on August 29, 2008 when the Iowa Supreme Court, in a split ruling, upheld the city of Davenport, Iowa’s use of photo enforcement for detection of red light and speed violations. This dual victory occurred when the court ruled in two cases, which allowed for the resumption of photo enforcement programs in Clive, Davenport and Sioux City, Iowa. All three cities temporarily suspended their programs in January 2007 awaiting clarification from the Iowa legislature and the outcome of the state Supreme Court case. A fourth program in Council Bluffs has been continuously operational since April 2005 and has continued to see positive results.
Outstanding Results
The Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State University conducted an extensive study in December 2007 on the efficacy of the red light enforcement program in Iowa cities.
Key findings include:
-In Davenport, a 40% reduction in red light running crashes and 20% reduction in total crashes
-In Council Bluffs, a 90% reduction in red light running crashes and a 44% reduction in total crashes
-No increase in rear-end crashes
To view the study in its entirety, go to: http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/reports/rlr-phase2.pdf