Silent Majority on Red-Light Cameras?
Via online only Seattle Pi.com comes an interesting tale of tentative success with red-light cameras.
This bit stood out:
A random telephone survey of 400 people last August showed an 85 percent approval rate, Quinn said. And city officials continue to get unsolicited recommendations for intersections to install new cameras.
I don’t know the specifics of that survey, but given that nary a day goes by that I don’t hear the old charges about cameras “increasing accidents” — without identifying the much more serious crashes that same cameras have reduced — and being simple revenue-raising tools for municipalities, I was surprised by the high level of seeming support.
Or maybe it’s a Seattle thing (I once received a jaywalking warning there by an officer in blue).
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 5:48 pm and is filed under Traffic Engineering, Traffic Gadgets, Traffic safety. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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August 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
How was the survey worded? Something like “Red light cameras will reduce accidents are intersections. Do you support red light cameras?” is a wee-bit loaded.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Isn’t there some deal where when they put them in they often shorten the yellow cycle to raise revenue?
August 11th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
That’s the story. But it is worth conceptually separating traffic camera technology from the abuse of it by particular localities. Timings can be verified by the public, and excuses for shortening them are easily refuted. (People can not foresee a shorter yellow and drive differently before it expires.) Signs to indicate the presence of a camera would further enhance their positive effect. Demand actual safety from local governments and they can hardly refuse in the name of revenue.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Nathan,
If anyone is designing a sign for these, how about just CAM hanging right below the light? This is where we need to look and everyone knows the abbreviated meaning. In fact, there could be fake ones that would work this way.
August 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Where I live in Missouri, they do have signs on the traffic lights if the red lights are camera enforced. I forget the exact wording but it is something like “RED LIGHT CAMERA ENFORCED” in quite large letters.