Red light camera supporters insist that the devices are needed to prevent the common and deadly T-bone style of accident at intersections. In practice, however, automated ticketing lenses are more often positioned to photograph a different type of violation, one that rarely causes accidents. A review of US Department of Transportation statistics shows that an average motorist could drive a billion miles—the distance from Earth to Jupiter and back—before being involved in an accident that resulted from a motorist making a rolling stop on a right-hand turn.
Despite the rarity of such incidents, municipalities like Schaumburg, Illinois have used red light cameras to generate more than $1 million from right-on-red tickets. Of the 10,000 photo tickets issued since November, only about 200 involved the straight-through type of violation used to justify the devices. Likewise, Duncanville, Texas (with a population of 38,500) used a set of four cameras last year to generate 44,000 tickets worth $3.3 million.
The private contractor in charge of the ticketing program defines a “violation” as passing the stop bar painted on the pavement at any speed greater than 2 MPH. Because of the design of the monitored intersections, motorists often must pull into the crosswalk past the stop bar to see cross traffic before initiating a turn. That means even when motorists fully stop before turning, they can be mailed a ticket.
Such a strict attitude appears out of proportion to the danger posed by right-turn accidents. The 2001 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration report entitled “Analysis of Crossing Path Crashes” examined 1998 data from the General Estimates System (GES) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) accident databases to conclude that of about 6.33 million crashes that year, about 1.72 million involved one vehicle cutting into the path of another.
Of this amount, only 5.7 percent or 99,000 were classified as right-turn into path (RTIP) crashes, the least common type (Table 3-1). The category still included incidents unrelated to what might happen at an intersection, such as accidents that happened while making a right-hand turn out of a driveway or alley.
The number of right-turn accidents shrunk further to just 20,000 when narrowed to collisions taking place at intersections with traffic lights (Table 3-2). Of these, only 4.1 percent, or 2378, were caused by the violation of the traffic signal (Table 4-1).
Cities often justify these ticketing methods by saying they are protecting pedestrians and cyclists, but these numbers are small as well.
“The majority of fatalities did not occur at or near intersections,” the report stated.
Of the small number of fatalities that did happen at an intersection, only 10.9 percent happened during a right turn (Table 5-5). Such accidents were forty times less likely to occur than a collision with another automobile. The text of the 2001 report is available in a 700k PDF file at the source link below.
Like nearly everything else in this world, red light cameras are a work/scam.
In my experience, enforcement of right-turn-on-red AFTER STOP protects pedestrians.
I walk quite a bit. I am often denied my right-of-way at intersections by motorists making right-turns on red. I know people who have actually had a foot run over in these situations. After these incidents, the motorist rarely exhibits any understanding of the actual rules involved.
I also drive quite a bit and I find I must guard carefully against making a right-on-red without due regard for pedestrians.
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But, yes, red light cameras ARE a scam.
In Fremont, CA, the red light cameras only get right-turners if they’re going more than 15mph. That seems fair to me, to be honest.
I live in NYC.
I generally make a right turn on red even if there is no sign for it – unless there is a sign posted that says not to. In nearby Long Island, Right turns on red are the norm – as for many low populous areas.
I always check to make sure no cars are coming from my left and inch forward till I can accelerate through the turn.
I never do this if there are pedestrians.
Right-on-red seems to be very safe if done with general auto safety procedures such as looking both ways first.
Flashpoint
hate to break it to you, but right on red is default illegal in NYC, kind of like 55 is the default uposted speed limit. Posted signs are only for the rare exception (like some LIE exits). You’d probably only get pulled over for it if you shot at an officer while running the light though.
carlisimo, that sounds fair to me too. Are you sure it works that way though?
Cities often justify these ticketing methods by saying they are protecting pedestrians and cyclists, but these numbers are small as well.
Well, I must be lucky, because as a cyclist I’ve been struck four friggin’ times by right-turning drivers who just don’t look to see if someone is beside them.
As a pedestrian I’ve only been scared by cars doing this. My wife was run down by someone running a yellow while making a left.
The rules about pedestrian right of ways are very strict (in favor of pedestrians). So, hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk because you’re making a right turn, though rare, is very illegal already.
I got a ticket in Santa Monica last year because the cop claimed that I went through an intersection in which there was a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Since I had no idea what he was talking about (I was going perhaps 15 mph and wasn’t on the phone like nearly everyone else around me) I asked him to clarify. He said that a pedestrian stepped off the curb just before I drove through. It turned out that she stepped off the curb to my far left (4 lanes away) but because her foot was on the pavement I was supposed to stop and wait for her to cross the whold street.
If they really want to generate income, they’ll set the cameras to sense a pedestrian’s foot and just pay some old lady to tap her foot on the street every time a car drives through.
MBella, I am sure. It’s been confirmed in the local paper, and I know a couple of people who got tickets (they took the turn at about 25mph). I’ve gone through at more than 2mph without triggering the camera.
@ tedward:
So you might think, but i am living proof it happens. the first and only time i made a right on red in nyc i got a ticket. 170ish dollars. Plus nj got wind of it and also issued me points and a fine, which i was unaware of due to being in college at the time. 11 years later when i tried to get a licence in Mass i learned of my then 300 fine and penalties. And that was without redlight cameras.
I walk quite a bit. I am often denied my right-of-way at intersections by motorists making right-turns on red.
Are you sure you’re not talking about cars that don’t yield the right of way when turning right at a GREEN light? That is, when both stoplight and crosswalk are green and the car takes an immediate right turn instead of yielding to the pedestrian who’s already in or about to enter the crosswalk, because the driver is too pre-occupied with looking to their left for oncoming traffic. If a car is at a red light, then almost certainly the crosswalk to the right should be red too, unless it’s a funky intersection.
Got any stats on drivers turning on red through a Michigan left?
In MA, the rule is something like : right turn on red after a stop unless signage tells you not to. I stop and look for signs. If I see one, some are obstructed, I then have assess the intersection for pedestrians or other obstructions. I drive all over greater Boston for work. My greatest fear is hitting a walker. So often times I will wait for the light regardless.