Getting the Green Light or Hitting the Brakes?

Typical Criticisms of Red Light Camera Programs

Alec Slatky, AAA Northeast

IIHS Red Light Camera Forum

July 28, 2016

Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Source: IIHS

Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

0

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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Source: IIHS

Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

0%

10%

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30%

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60%

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80%

2008 2008 2012 2012 2015 2015

Strongly support Somewhat support Strongly oppose Somewhat oppose

Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index

Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

Source: AAA New York surveys

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52%

54%

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2008 2011 2015

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Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index, 2014

Have Red Light Cameras Peaked?

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Traffic Safety Culture Index, 2014

Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?

Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?

Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?

McCartt and Echelberger, Attitudes Toward Red Light Camera Enforcement in Cities With Camera Programs, 2012

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Other

Police should enforce violations

Red light running is not a problem

Camera programs cost too much

Should have longer yellow/all-red

Cameras won't deter people

Flash is distracting

Invasion of privacy

Makes the intersection less safe

Focus is money, not safety

Cameras can make mistakes

Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?

Cicchino, Wells, and McCartt, Survey About Pedestrian Safety and Attitudes Toward Automated Traffic Enforcement in Washington, D.C., 2013

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Makes the intersection less safe

Red light running is not a big problem

Cameras can't tell if drivers are in intersection

Focus is on raising revenue, not safety

Cameras make mistakes

Why Don’t People Like Red Light Cameras?

Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily

aimed at raising revenue

Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily

aimed at raising revenue

• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose

Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily

aimed at raising revenue

• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose

• Overestimating revenue

Money Mistakes• Freely admitting red light cameras are primarily

aimed at raising revenue

• Dedicating revenue to a non-safety purpose

• Overestimating revenue

• Post-mortem focuses on lost revenue

Is this fair?

Is this fair?

But…• Would your program still be running if it cost money?

• Would your program still be running if it didn’t make

money?

Solutions - Money• Reinvest all revenue (above cost) into traffic safety

measures – without robbing Peter to pay Paul

• Select intersections with lots of red light crashes, not

with lots of violations but few crashes

• Keep the vendor out of the site selection process

Mistakes• “I didn’t run the red light”

• “It wasn’t my car”

• “I wasn’t driving”

Solutions - Mistakes• Include video with every citation

o If cameras don’t have video, retrofit them at the next contract

• Hire a red light camera ombudsman – with authority

• At least allow for indemnification against the driver

Right on Red

McCartt and Echelberger, Attitudes Toward Red Light Camera Enforcement in Cities With Camera Programs, 2012

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Other

Cameras are too expensive

Too many gray areas

Focus is money, not safety

Cameras can make mistakes

Should be able to make right if safe

Right-on-red is legal

Right-on-red violations not a problem

Right on Red

Dayton Daily News, Senator Going After Traffic Cameras Got a Ticket from one in 2010

• “The all-seeing eye of Big Brother in the camera

determines with NFL instant-replay accuracy that

you did not come to a full and complete stop. And

therefore here is your $100 ticket for having violated

our ordinance.”

State Senator Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati

Solutions – Right on Red• Evaluate No Turn on Red restrictions

• Put up warning signs

• Conduct public education campaigns

• Collect video of right-on-red collisions

• Show discretion

Amber Light Timing

Solutions – Amber Timing• Get your ducks in a row

• Don’t be stingy with amber times

• Consider lengthening amber times

• Use cameras to capture prevailing speed

• Be transparent

• Give a grace period

Transparency• Better to freely distribute information to all parties

Solutions – Transparency• Open data, open data, open data

• Crash data by intersection, with large sample size

• Incorporate control intersections

• Violation spreadsheets

Due Process• You can’t convince everyone

Solutions – Due Process• Issue warning notices for each camera – or one

“Get Out of Jail Free” card

• Put up warning signs

• Have a statute of limitations

• Allow pleas of not-guilty by mail

Thanks!• Alec Slatky

• Email: aslatky@aaanortheast.com

• Tel: (516) 873-2266