Red Light Cameras Work

Latest evidence is from the city of Dallas

Kimberly Thorpe, in Unfair Park, reports on a meeting of Dallas' Automated Red Light Enforcement Commission, at which members were told that since the installation of 66 cameras in 2007, there has been a 62% reduction in red-light related accidents at intersections with cameras. The program cost is $6 million per year and ticket revenues last year were $7.4 million. After sending half of the net revenue to Austin, as required by the Texas legislature, the city's net revenue was $676,753, or about 10% of the cost of the program.

In short, red light cameras work! Our intersections are safer. The red light cameras are not "a bald faced cash grab," as one reader still believes even in the face of contradictory evidence. Or at least the cash grab isn't by cities; Austin's demand for half of the revenues is another matter. In fact, if the incidence of red light running continues to drop as drivers adjust their driving habits (which would be a good thing, remember), revenues will drop as well and the program might no longer pay for itself. In ticket revenues, anyway. In accidents avoided and lives saved, the program's positive return will be longer lasting.