Illinois: Study Finds No Benefit To Chicago Red Light Cameras

The Newspaper
by The Newspaper

A new study of the country’s largest red light camera program found no significant benefit to the use of photo enforcement. Rajiv Shah, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago released the final version of his exploratory analysis into Chicago’s photo ticketing program, which boasts 188 cameras.

Shah’s analyzed Illinois Department of Transportation data obtained by the Chicago Tribune which showed that although accidents dropped seven percent at intersections citywide, fifty camera-monitored intersections saw a five-percent increase in accidents. The city used its own, much narrower dataset to claim a significant decrease in accidents. The city only had ten usable intersections and defined “accident” in a way that limits reporting of rear end collisions that take place farther from the intersection. Shah recrunched the numbers and found a net safety benefit of just 1.5 percent.

“The goal was not to do a comprehensive study of red light cameras, but only to ask whether the benefits of red light cameras are obvious,” the study concluded. “A more comprehensive study would include control groups. In sum, our findings show that red light cameras have, at best, a marginal positive impact on accidents. It’s clear that the benefits claimed by the city are hyperbole and that there is no evidence that the red light camera have had a significant safety benefit.”

Because of the limitations of the available data, Shah examined the so-called “halo effect” that insurance industry first postulated in its 2001 Oxnard study and has since become the primary talking point in favor of using automated ticketing machines. According to the theory, drivers afraid of receiving tickets will improve their habits. As a result, accidents will fall at intersections throughout the city — not just where cameras are located. In Chicago, this has demonstrably not taken place. Shah showed that from 2001 to 2008, the percentage of accidents that took place at intersections did not decrease, rather it remained steady at about 25 percent of collisions.

“This also suggests the red light cameras are not having a halo effect because accidents are not dropping throughout the city at traffic signals,” the report found.

In an email to TheNewspaper, Shah explained that he became interested in looking more closely at the red light camera issue while studying the city’s general surveillance camera network. The city has apparently exaggerated the effectiveness of these devices in solving and deterring crime, so Shah decided to see whether the same was true of intersection cameras.

View the study in a 250k PDF file at the source link below.

Effectiveness of Red Light Cameras in Chicago: An Exploratory Analysis (University of Illinois at Chicago, 6/17/2010)

[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]

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  • Bunkie Bunkie on Jun 18, 2010

    I just got my very first red light ticket the other day. Here's the problem, as I see it: I don't remember pushing through the light in question. I realize that this may simpy be a failure of memory on my part. The incident occurred one month ago. I have a very serious problem with this because, unlike with an officer-issued ticket, it makes it much, much harder to proffer a defense should I choose to fight the ticket. The only reason I remember that particular drive is that I was on my way to deal with a serious family issue. I'm firmly in the "it's for revenue" camp, but the far more frightening thing from my perspective is the erosion of the rights and resources of the accused. BTW, this is the ticket I've gotten while driving a car since I was first licensed over 35 years ago.

    • See 1 previous
    • Bunkie Bunkie on Jun 18, 2010

      I stand by my point. When an officer gives you a ticket, the memories of what you were doing are fresh. Are there mitigating circumstances? For a live ticket, you are far more likely to be able remember these issues for the preparation of your defense. Find out a month later and it's been lost. Frankly, it doesn't make a bit of difference if it "will stand up in court". That's for the judge to decide. Stacking the deck against the defendant by putting them at such a disadvantage is the problem here, not the specific arguments that might be raised in court. And anyone who trusts automated enforcement when there are so many factors in play (such as adjusting yellow light times and the possibility of cooking the logs) is, in my opinion, foolish.

  • JimC JimC on Jun 18, 2010

    Soooooo, a government in northern Illinois might have acted less than squeaky clean and not entirely above the board? Stop the presses!!

    • Hal Hal on Jun 23, 2010

      I give Chicago the benefit of the doubt on this. I often expect red light tickets to arrive in the mail (when I cut it fine at an intersection) and yet they never do. I drive through several redlight camera intersections almost every time I drive and it has not been an issue. People I know who have gotten the tickets don't moan either - they have a photo that shows them breaking a light or turning on red where it was not allowed.

  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
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