Red Light Cameras and Chicago Car Accidents

March 01, 2011

If you live or work in Chicago, chances are you have driven through an intersection armed with a red-light camera. With nearly 300 cameras currently in operation at 190 intersections around the city, some Chicago residents feel like they are under constant surveillance by Big Brother. The red light cameras have been unpopular among the driving public since they were first installed in 2003.

The city asserts that the cameras have played an important role in reducing the number of automobile accidents at some of Chicago's busiest intersections. Many people are not convinced, however, that safety has been the principle motivating factor for keeping the red light cameras turned on.

Cameras Generate Millions in Revenue

In 2009, the City of Chicago made $58.9 million in revenue from red light camera tickets. Within a five year time span, the city has collected $250 million from the cameras. In a cash-strapped city, the additional money has provided a much-needed financial boost. But many residents don't see it this way and are crying foul, saying the cameras are nothing more than cash machines used to line city coffers.

Some residents even suspect that the cameras wrongly try to ticket drivers who do not violate the law. The cameras have sensors under the pavement that are supposed to be triggered once a car fully enters an intersection on a red light. They also catch drivers who turn right on red without first coming to a complete a stop. The cameras then take three pictures of the vehicle: one of the license plates, another of the car entering the intersection and a final picture of the car driving through the intersection. Because the ticket is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle, residents can receive a ticket in their names even if they were not driving the car at the time of the violation. In these cases, residents can file an appeal of the $100 ticket.

The cameras have generated much-needed revenue for the City of Chicago, but not all municipalities surrounding Chicago have found them to be so lucrative. In fact, some suburbs have found the opposite to be true and have lost revenue from the cameras. For example, Bellwood collected more than $1 million in tickets from its red light cameras in 2008. But last year, the cameras yielded only a quarter of that amount. As motorists learn where the cameras are located, they either take a different route to avoid them or make sure to come to a complete stop at the intersection.

Mixed Data on Cameras' Role in Reducing Accidents

Despite the millions made from the red light cameras, city officials still contend that the cameras' main purpose is to protect the safety of Chicago drivers and pedestrians. A 2008 analysis conducted by the Chicago Department of Transportation found that the cameras have been successful in reducing the number of accidents. The analysis was based on red light cameras installed at intersections in 2006. These intersections saw a 30 per cent reduction in the overall number of accidents and a 40 per cent reduction in the number of broadside crashes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently released a report that found a 24 per cent decrease in the overall rate of fatal accidents nationally at intersections with red light cameras. The study looked at data from 14 cities - including Chicago - that had cameras in place between 2004 and 2008 and compared the crash data from this time frame to crash data from 1992 to 1996, prior to the use of red light cameras.

Other studies, however, have found that while red light cameras have reduced the overall number of broadside, or right-angle, crashes, they have caused an increase in the number of rear-end crashes. A 2005 study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration found that there was nearly a 15 per cent increase in the number of rear-end crashes at intersections with red light cameras, resulting in a 24 per cent increase in the number of injury accidents. Although the study also found nearly a 25 per cent decrease in the number of broadside accidents, rear-end collisions are the most prevalent type of accident that occur at intersections, accounting for 71 per cent of all accidents.

Thus, it appears that while red light cameras have been effective in reducing one type of crash, they have also increased the occurrence of another type, making the significance of their role in improving driver safety difficult, at best, to determine.

Conclusion

If you have been involved in a rear-end or right-angle crash at one of Chicago's intersections, contact an experienced attorney. Injuries sustained even in a low-speed accident can be serious. A lawyer experienced in helping car accident victims can review your case and help you decide on the next steps to take. For more information on your legal options following a motor vehicle accident, contact a Chicago car accident attorney today.

Article provided by The Horwitz Law Group
Visit us at www.thehorwitzlawgroup.com