Home >Camera Enforcement > Red Light Cameras > Portland Cameras Cause 140 Percent Jump in Rear End Collisions

Related News More Texas Cities Could See Red Light Camera Referendum Kansas City, Missouri Red Light Cameras Increase Accidents Peer Reviewed Study Questions IIHS Red Light Camera Report Texas: Federal Appeals Court Defends Anti-Camera Referendum Houston, Texas Settles Red Light Camera Lawsuit View Main Topics: Camera Enforcement    Speed Cameras    Red Light Cameras    Revenue from Cameras    Camera Accuracy    Engineering/Signals Police Enforcement    Random Checkpoints    Speed Limits/Traps    Tickets and Cash    Seizure/Confiscation    Parking Tickets    Taxes and Tolls    Drunk Driving Laws Miscellaneous Issues    Miscellaneous    Hypocrisy    Bad Policy and Injustice    Propaganda    New Technologies    Privacy Issues The Revolt    Protests    Camera Destruction Subscribe via RSS or E-Mail Back To Front Page

11/12/2005 Portland Cameras Cause 140 Percent Jump in Rear End Collisions Portland, Oregon cameras generate $4.3 million in revenue and a 140 percent increase in rear-end accidents. Since red light cameras were installed in Portland, Oregon more than four years ago, rear-end collisions at monitored intersections have jumped 140 percent, according to city statistics. Rear-end crashes increased from 1.5 to 3.6 crashes annually with total crashes increasing from 8.9 to 9.4. Police and city officials still maintain that the program is a success, as it generates approximately $4.3 million in annual revenue from the $237 photo citations. These findings are consistent with a number of studies showing red light cameras often cause an increase in overall accidents where they are used. The KATU television news team also monitored the performance of the cameras and discovered that the devices were not flashing when they should. Portland's traffic engineer explained that drivers in an outside lane were beyond the camera's field-of-view and would not be cited. Moreover, about half of all potential tickets are dropped due to unclear photos. Oregon law requires a clear picture of the driver before a citation can be issued. The officials also admitted that one brand of license plate cover successfully deflects the camera, but they would not say which one. Source: Do Red Light Cameras Pose Safety Problems? (KATU-TV (Portland, Oregon), 11/12/2005) Regional News: Other news about Portland, Oregon Permanent Link for this item Return to Front Page

Front Page | Get Updates | Site Map | News Achive | Search | theNewspaper.com: A journal of the politics of driving