While some states and cities are embracing automated traffic enforcement as a tool for improving road safety, others are banning the technology over concerns that the programs are designed for profit rather than public benefit.
The growing movement to use automated traffic cameras to enforce road rules is coming up against opposition from some local officials and drivers who see the programs as a “cash grab” rather than a true safety effort. To date, at least eight U.S. states have laws banning speed cameras. Some states are regulating camera vendors to ensure they are not profiting from citations and that revenue is going to pedestrian safety projects.
However, cameras have been shown to work. New York City issued over 400,000 tickets to drivers who block or park in bus lanes since its automated enforcement program began. In Philadelphia, excessive speeding dropped by 90 percent after the city installed cameras along one particularly dangerous road segment.
According to Kamron Clifford of mobility analytics firm Arity, “While speed cameras can be frustrating, they are a proven tool for reducing traffic fatalities and raising awareness of risky driving behaviors.” But road design, pedestrian infrastructure, and other interventions are also key parts of the broader effort to eliminate road deaths.
FULL STORY: State and local lawmakers take a renewed look at speed enforcement cameras
Philly Speed Camera Program Cuts Fatalities in Half
Excessive speeding along dangerous segments of Roosevelt Boulevard dropped by 90 percent after the city installed automated enforcement cameras.
San Francisco Turns On California’s First Speed Cameras
The city is the first in the state to use automated traffic enforcement to reduce speeding and traffic deaths.
Data Shows Chicago Speed Cameras Reduce Speeding, Crashes
Countering claims made by the Chicago Tribune that automated enforcement doesn’t improve safety, Streetsblog Chicago lays out the data showing how traffic safety fared in camera zones.
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Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs
The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.
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