How many times have you seen someone go through a red light when they should have stopped? If you are like most people, it’s happened quite a few times. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), accidents as a result of red light runners is the most common type of urban crash. In fact, it is estimated that 20 percent of all fatal car crashes involved someone running a red light. In 2007 alone, 900 people were killed as a result of red-light runners, and 153,000 were injured.

Tackling the Problem
Several years ago, because accidents resulting from someone running a red light were so common and serious, states began looking for ways to reduce the number of such incidents. What law enforcement found is that “automated enforcement,” as it is called, through the use of traffic cameras, works as a deterrent and seems to help lower the number of people running red lights.

If people are aware that there is a camera at an intersection, they react as if there is a police officer parked and watching, and therefore tend to not run the light as often. The cameras are triggered when a vehicle enters the intersection after the light has been red for a pre-set time.

The Penalty
How they work, and the penalty for being caught running the light, varies by state and jurisdiction. In California, for example, the cameras take a snapshot of the license plate and driver of a vehicle running a red light or disobeying a railroad crossing light. The citation, which consists of $100 fine and one point on the driving record, is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Many states do not use such cameras, while others also use them to issue tickets for speeding. Some states treat such violations like a parking ticket, where no points are issued. As such cameras have demonstrated to be a helpful way to address the problem of people running red lights, more states will likely follow suit and add them in their cities.

Raising Money, Increasing Safety
Even if the cameras at intersections were not effective in reducing the number of people running red lights, there is a good chance they would still be widely used. Cities and states using them are able to issue many citations each year at less cost to the municipality than hiring additional patrol officers. Governments around the country, feeling the financial pinch, are apt to welcome this kind of creative way to bring in additional revenue.