Another One Bites The Dust

Red light cameras are supposed to save us from ourselves.  They are supposed to decrease red light running and hence decrease collisions, but it just doesn't work that way.  It's just another wonderful theory mugged by reality. ( I explain why this might be so in an earlier post). 

The latest rude awakening is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where two intersections have been data-mined for ten years: five years BCE (Before Camera Era) and five years after (ACI).    And guess what?  Collisions and injuries went up after the red snappers were hoisted.  The theory also posits that t-bone type angle collisions will go down.  They stayed the same. 

Running Lights

Red light cameras are supposed to enhance traffic safety.  Red light runners cause a lot of accidents and injuries, and if we can decrease this scofflawry, we'll save lives and property.

The theory that handing out redlight camera tickets will decrease red light running and actual accidents and injuries, bears closer inspection.  The evidence suggests that the stop line cameras do no such thing, They may cut down on light runners, but the accidents actually increase.

Let's reason together as to why this might be so.  There are two kinds of drivers who run lights:  the kind who does it purposely, and the kind who does it accidentally.