Do Speed and Red Light Cameras Actually Prevent Crashes?

 Posted on August 23, 2018 in Personal Injury

Whether you are driving in DuPage County or in downtown Chicago, you may have noticed speed cameras or red light cameras designed to prevent aggressive driving accidents. One of the aims behind traffic photo enforcement systems, according to the DuPage County Community Resource Information System, is to prevent car accidents caused by aggressive drivers. Two of the most common forms of aggressive driving include speeding and running red lights. These behaviors routinely result in serious and fatal auto accidents.

Still, do speed and red light cameras actually act as a deterrent for aggressive drivers? According to a PubMed Health article, research suggests that speed and red light cameras do reduce the number of traffic crashes and personal injuries, and as such they are a worthwhile intervention.

Speeding and Running Red Lights Are Behaviors That Cause Car Crashes in DuPage County

We know that speeding and running red lights are some of the primary causes of traffic collisions in DuPage County and throughout Chicagoland, along with distracted driving. Indeed, as the PubMed Health article underscores, excessive speed has been found to contribute to a large number of accidents, and simply reducing the number of drivers who speed could significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of a crash. Generally speaking, the faster a driver is going, the more likely a collision will result in serious or even fatal injuries.

In order to stop speeding and red-light running, DuPage County and Cook County introduced speed and red light cameras. In DuPage County, these traffic photo enforcement systems automatically photograph vehicles whose drivers run red lights or exceed posted speed limits. The cameras do not take photos constantly, but instead get triggered when a car passes over the camera sensors at an excessive speed or when an automobile drives through an intersection after a traffic light has turned red. The camera is designed to photograph the vehicle while it is committing the traffic offense, along with the date, time of day, time elapsed since the beginning of the red signal, and the speed of the vehicle.

Do Traffic Photo Enforcement Systems Actually Work?

In theory, it sounds like a good idea to install speed and red light cameras to deter drivers from speeding or running red lights, thereby preventing the number of accidents that occur because of these aggressive behaviors. But do these systems actually deter drivers? According to the article, we need to do more research in this area that takes into account varying population levels and socioeconomic statuses. But from the evidence we do have, it seems as those speed and red light cameras do prevent some accidents. Or, at the very least, they slow down drivers and lead to less severe injuries.

In general, most places with speed cameras, according to the researchers, saw a 10 percent to 35 percent drop in speeding when drivers knew cameras were installed. Accidents that resulted in death or severe injury dropped by anywhere from 17 percent to 58 percent, with the majority of areas reporting serious auto accident injury rates as declining by about 30 percent to 40 percent.

Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer in DuPage County

Were you injured by an aggressive driver? An experienced DuPage County auto accident lawyer can speak with you today about your case. Contact Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today.