Red Light Cameras Update
I haven’t written much about red light cameras, so here is big post to cover a number of issues. Two recent articles that provide some nice background are from CBS and USA Today.
Redflex Traffic Systems is a leading provider of red light cameras. They have 40% of the market in the US. They have contracts with 90 cities in the US as well as photo speed programs in 8 states. The Chicago has 60 cameras from Redflex.
How the RedFlex System Works:
Redflex red light cameras will help cities nab about 4,000 red light runners per day or just under 1.5 million in 2006. Here’s how they do it:
1. Road sensors: Road-embedded sensors detect a car moving toward an intersection. Sensors calculate the car’s speed and determine whether it will run the red light.
2. Camera activated: Sensors send a signal to the overhead camera to begin recording images of the car as it nears the intersection.
3. 12 seconds of video shot: The camera records 12 seconds of video — 6 seconds before the car runs the red light and 6 seconds after.
4. Additional images captured: In addition to images of the car in the intersection, the system records a shot of the license plate and — in jurisdictions using driver liability and facial photography — an image of the driver.
5. Citation issued: Redflex checks images for quality and turns them over to the city’s traffic law enforcement agency, which reviews it for a violation and mails a ticket to the vehicle owner.
Detecting Red Light Cameras. Cobra is developing new GPS radar detectors that alert drivers where traffic cameras are being used according to this. This appears to be a similar approach to the NAVTEQ camera alert system which maintains information on the location of cameras, see previous post.
Fighting Red Light Tickets in Chicago, from the Sun-Times:
Most people just pay the ticket. Only 10% of those fighting the ticket actually succeed. This article provides a bit more detail on fighting tickets and why people usually fail. As a result, by October of 2006 the city had already collected $12.5 million in fines for 2006.
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