A national study released by the Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows red-light cameras are effective in preventing fatal car crashes.
A news release from East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden’s office summarized the study, which found “red-light enforcement cameras saved 159 lives over a five-year period in 14 U.S. cities.”
The study concluded the total number of fatal red-light running crashes decreased by 35 percent in those 14 cities from 2004 to 2008, compared to the number of crashes from 1992 to 1996.
Scott Dyer, spokesman for Holden’s office, said Baton Rouge wasn’t included in the study because it used data from 2004 to 2008, and the city didn’t use cameras until 2008.
Dyer said the study can provide people with an idea of what may come in the future.
“It’s still a valid yardstick,” he said. “We’re still encouraged by these results.”
Sarah Edel, civil engineer in the East Baton Rouge Department of Public Works Traffic Engineering Division, said the department gets crash data six months after a time period concludes.
Because of that, Edel said, the department only has one year’s worth of data at its disposal.
Edel said 15 Baton Rouge intersections had red-light cameras in 2009. The data from 2009 show a 9 percent decrease in total crashes and a 21 percent decrease in correctable crashes like right-angle crashes and T-bones.
She said the results aren’t conclusive because the cameras weren’t up in Baton Rouge until recently.
“We’ve been really encouraged by the data so far,” Edel said. “But it’s too early to make a definitive decision.”
Dyer said he believes the trend occurring in the cities included in the study will also be present in Baton Rouge.
“I can’t think of any reason we’d be different from these other cities,” he said.
Aaron Zeringue, business management freshman, said he doesn’t like red light cameras.
“I’m not really a huge fan. I find myself running a lot of red lights,” he said.
But Zeringue said he doesn’t argue against their effectiveness.
“I guess it’ll help,” he said. “Knowing that it’s there makes you want to stop.”
 
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]