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When the Philadelphia Parking Authority began installing red-light cameras, its goal was reduce the number of accidents the state sees each year.
According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Crash Facts and Statistics Book, Chester County saw 3.5 percent of the state’s 2010 crashes, making it one of the top ten Pennsylvania counties most likely to experience a motor vehicle accident.
While Parking Authority officials claim the camera program has been successful, police data suggests that this may not be the case. The data shows that accidents have risen at many intersections in the city over the six years since the Parking Authority began installing red-light cameras.
According to the data, there were 1,982 crashes at the intersections with the red-light camera since their installation, which is higher than the 1,765 accidents that occurred at the intersections during the same time frame before the cameras appeared. However, the number of fatal accidents in surveyed areas decreased from nine to eight.
Some police officials believe that the cameras may be prompting drivers to slam on their brakes to avoid being caught on camera running a red light, causing their vehicles to be struck from behind.
One police spokesperson said other factors may have contributed to the increase, such as construction or a general increase in traffic. Philadelphia’s police commissioner said he supports the use of red-light cameras, but would also like to see speed cameras installed.
Parking Authority officials have questioned the accuracy of the police data, saying that its own data showed crashes to be down overall, and that red-light violations have decreased by 90 percent since the camera program began.
Source: The Inquirer, “Red-light cameras’ effect on accidents is debatable,” Paul Nussbaum, Oct. 25, 2011.