Charlottesville and Albemarle officials are considering equipping busy intersections with red light cameras to aid law enforcement officers and improve traffic safety. The new technology has only recently become legal in the state thanks to a Virginia law that took effect last month.
The red light cameras, triggered by sensors in the pavement, take two photographs of a vehicle running a red light, first when it enters the intersection and then again to capture the image of the rear license plate, said Doug Hecox, spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration.
"It's a great way to step up enforcement," Charlottesville Police Capt. Bryant Bibbs said. "[It] would have a positive impact on the community."
The idea behind the cameras is to place them in intersections that are difficult to patrol and reduce the number of side collisions, said Sally Thomas, chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.
"For instance, one intersection might be Rio Road and Route 29," she said. "With 21 lanes, it is the largest intersection in Virginia and difficult to patrol."
A technology permitted by law in 12 states throughout the country, red light cameras have been successful in lowering the number of side collisions, though may also lead to a higher rate of rear-end accidents.
In 2005, nearly 9,200 people died and approximately one million people were injured in intersection-related crashes," Hecox said. "The red light camera technology used in that year led to a 25 percent decrease in side collisions."
The same study showed a 15 percent increase in rear-end accidents, but the fatality rate among rear-end accidents is much less than it is in side collisions.
Partly due to the red light camera technology, traffic accident fatalities dropped by over 800 between 2005 and 2006, Hecox said.
According to Hecox, the technology used in the cameras can be applied to other areas of traffic law enforcement.
"Speeding is another area where the high speed cameras can be used," he said. "They recently have been placed in the back of vans or hidden where police cars cannot hide."
The goal of this program is road safety, not an invasion of privacy, he added.
"We are simply trying to crack down on people doing bad things and this is one way to do it," he said. "We are trying giving city officials the information they need to make good decisions."
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