SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research, released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), provides further confirmation of what safety advocates and American Traffic Solutions (ATS) have long believed – that intersection safety cameras save lives. The report titled “The Effects of Red-Light Camera Enforcement on Fatal Crashes in Large U.S. Cities” is a powerful reminder of the benefits of this life-saving technology.
“This report confirms what 70 percent of Americans already know—Intersection Safety Cameras save lives,” American Traffic Solutions president and CEO James Tuton said. “This report speaks to all drivers across the country and shows beyond a doubt that intersection safety cameras can and do save lives.”
676 people were killed and 113,000 were injured in red-light running crashes that occurred in 2009. The IIHS study found that during the period from 2004-2008 cameras saved 159 lives in 14 U.S. cities with large populations and could have prevented 815 deaths had all large cities in the country used the cameras.
Added Tuton, “Previous studies showed cameras deter red-light running, reduce the number and severity of crashes and change driver behavior. But, this study provides the most powerful evidence to date and confirms that cameras save lives. Tragically, nearly two-thirds of the people killed in these crashes were victims other than red-light runners, including passengers in the red-light running vehicle, occupants in other vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.”
Researchers compared crash rates in 14 cities with populations over 200,000 that used cameras from 2004-2008 but did not use them from 1992-1996. They also examined crash data in 48 other cities that did not use cameras in either time period. The study found the per capita rate of fatal red-light running crashes fell by 35 percent in the cities with intersection safety cameras compared with a 14 percent decline in cities without cameras.
Other findings include:
- In cities with cameras there were 17 percent fewer fatal crashes per capita at intersections with signals in 2004-08 than would have been expected. That translates into 159 people who are alive because of the automated enforcement programs.
- Cities using intersection safety cameras have increased from 25 in 2000 to more than 500 in 2011.
- The decline in the rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections in the cities with cameras indicates “cameras have a generalized effect on motorists’ behavior at intersections that extends beyond running red lights.”
“This report, like so many others that have come before it, affirms what we’ve said for years – that intersection safety cameras save lives by changing driver behavior,” Tuton said. “ATS is honored to be a part of the solution for making driving safer in communities across the country.”
About American Traffic Solutions:
ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATS has more than 2,000 installed Intersection and Speed Safety Cameras serving more than 30 million people. We have contracts in nearly 300 communities in 22 states and Washington, D.C., including: Fort Worth, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nassau County (N.Y.), New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and St. Louis. ATS also offers PlatePass, an automated electronic toll payment service that enables rental vehicle customers to use high-speed, cashless electronic toll lanes. ATS is a privately-owned, U.S. corporation. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com or www.PlatePass.com. To view video that serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers that red-light runners present to our family and children, visit ATS on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ATSRoadSafety