Ohio: Red Light Cameras Fail to Reduce Accidents

Accidents have not been reduced at intersections with red light cameras in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Newspaper
May. 19, 2007

Accidents have not been reduced at intersections with red light cameras in Cleveland, Ohio, according to an analysis by WEWS-TV. There were 184 accidents at monitored intersections in the first six months the cameras were operational. Six months before that, there were 187 accidents in the same locations -- essentially there has been no overall improvement.

Individual intersections saw accidents double, or drop by half. At East 30th and Carnegie, accidents halved from 16 to 8. At East 55th and Carnegie, accidents dropped from 22 to 13. However, at Interstate 90 and West Boulevard, accidents more than doubled from 8 to 17. At Shaker Boulevard and East 116th Street, they increased from 4 to 9.

"If they are going to use safety as a rationale for this, should at least keep statistics," Akron attorney Warner Mendenhall told WEWS. "And if the statistics don't prove out their theory, then they should drop the program."

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has no intention of dropping the program, which generated $5.8 million in revenue in 2006.

"I will say that it does produce significant revenue," Jackson told WEWS. "If it were about revenue, I would have another 30 of them up."

Source: Red-Light Cameras Dont Significantly Reduce Accidents (WEWS-TV (OH), 5/17/2007)