Poll shows Louisiana support

LAFAYETTE, La. --  A strong majority of Lafayette residents embrace red light cameras and photo speed-enforcement cameras as tools to curb dangerous driving, according to poll results released this week.

More than 66 percent of the 403 registered Lafayette voters polled this spring by Southern Media & Opinion Research said they support, or "strongly support," the use of the SafeLight Lafayette red light cameras. Meanwhile, 61 percent of those polled said they support or strongly support the use of Lafayette's SafeSpeed fixed and mobile photo speed-enforcement cameras.

Nearly 86 percent of those polled said they believe red light running is "extremely dangerous" or "very dangerous" to drivers and passengers while 70 percent said the same about speeding.

Less than 4 percent of those polled said they do not consider red light running or speeding to be problems in Lafayette. According to Lafayette's poll, 66 percent of registered voters would vote to keep the city-parish's automated enforcement program if given the choice on a ballot.

Nearly 77 percent said video red light cameras make them feel safer while 72 percent said video speed enforcement cameras make them feel safer.

Lafayette residents have embraced automated enforcement faster than residents in other

U.S. communities. For example, polling conducted by Redflex and city officials in Scottsdale, Ariz. showed that 55 percent of those polled supported the concept of photo enforcement in 1996. The number jumped to 80 percent support by 2007.