Nothing is quicker than a yellow light turning red. You make a split second decision on whether to hit the gas or the brakes. Not getting hit or hitting someone is a plus but seeing the flash of the red light camera is heartbreaking. Even though you might feel that you did nothing wrong or no one was hurt, red lights are there for a reason.
Red light running killed 638 people and injured an estimated 133,000 in 2013. Nearly two-thirds of the deaths were people other than the red light running drivers — occupants of other vehicles, passengers in the red light runners’ vehicles, bicyclists, or pedestrians. 133,000 people is the equivalent of the population of Philadelphia from Cottman Avenue to County Line Road.
Philadelphia has spent the last decade going through a renaissance. Restaurants, boutiques and even Red Light Cameras are helping revive the storied neighborhoods that make up the fabric of Philadelphia. When discussing revitalization and economic development, red light enforcement is not a usual component of the conversation. As long as people drive to these locations, parking availability and driver safety need to be discussed. The Red Light Camera Enforcement program helps with safety infrastructure in Philadelphia. Red light cameras saved 159 lives in 2004-08 in 14 of the biggest U.S. cities, a new analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.
SAFETY
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, every twenty minutes someone runs a red light at urban interections. However, due to the Red Light Camera Program, Philadelphia has been able to decrease that number by approximately 35%. Over the years, Philadelphia has tried multiple ways to reduce the danger on such roads like Roosevelt Boulevard before pursuing Red Light Camera enforcement. Those measures alone did not eliminate the need for enforcement of red light violations at some intersections. An Institute study conducted in Philadelphia evaluated effects on red light running by first lengthening yellow signal timing by about a second and then introducing red light cameras. While the longer yellow reduced red light violations by 36 percent, adding camera enforcement further cut red light running by another 96 percent. These results have led to fewer fatalities and a safer driving experience.
KEY RED LIGHT SAFETY FACTS
- 126 Cameras throughout the City of Philadelphia
- At the City Hall intersection, red light cameras issued more than 33,600 citations in 2011
- A study of accidents for the original 10 red-light camera intersections in Philadelphia found a 66 percent reduction in fatalities, and a 24 percent drop in injury crashes over the past three years.