Red Light Camera Enforcement

Background

Program Goals:

To help enforce traffic laws by automatically photographing vehicles whose drivers run red lights. Red light running is the most common type of crash; they account for 22% of all urban crashes and 27% of all injury crashes

Intent:

Unintentional

Risk Factors Addressed:

Speeding and unsafe driving practices causing accident and injury

Place of occurrence:

Community

Age/Age Range:

All drivers and pedestrians

Resources

Year Developed:

1997

Collaborative Organization(s):

City of Fairfax, Virginia

Funding Resource(s):

$100,000 USD City of Fairfax, Virginia

Costs:

3 locations - $16,000 each
After 8 months, 5 additional sites established at a total cost of $60,000 

Implementation

Context/Setting:

Community-based program

Strategies Used:

Education, Engineering, Enactment

Activities Used:

Campaign employed mass media and direct contact;
A 30-day warning period in which cameras were used to photograph but not ticket violators preceded actual enforcement 

Program Evaluation:

Red light violation data were collected at three different times for the study; five sites chosen for their history of red light running crashes; two noncamera control sites for factors such as weather and travel patterns and two noncamera sites chosen for spill-over effects

Source of Best Practice:

Volpe, R., Lewko, J., & Battra, A. (2002). A Compendium of Effective, Evidence-Based Best Practices in Prevention of Neurotrauma. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Original Source:

City of Fairfax, Virginia

Supplementary Material:

N/A

Local Example(s):

N/A

Contact Information: 

John Veneziano
Traffic Engineer
Department of Public Works
City of Fairfax
10455 Armstrong Street
Fairfax, VA  22030
Tel: (703) 385-7810
Email: Jveneziano@ci.fairfax.va.us 

Outcomes

Long-term outcomes/Effectiveness:

Drivers have become more willing and ready to stop for all red lights, not just those equipped with cameras

Short-term outcomes:

Red light running violations decreased at all camera and noncamera sites one year after implementation;
Overall, violations decreased 9% after three months and 40% after one year 

Cost-Effectiveness:

Collected over $1 million in revenue as of the end of February 2000

Other Benefits:

Increased public awareness and approval

Other

Date of Review:

2000

Classification:

Best Practice