A primary countermeasure for red light running accidents is automatic enforcement with the aid of red-light cameras. Over the years, many evaluations of camera effectiveness have been published as well as numerous anecdotal reports, but there is a lack of summary values of effects associated with the camera application. This study reviewed international findings from Australia, USA, Great Britain, Singapore and other countries which showed large reductions in violation rates at camera sites or on camera approaches, of the order of 40-60 per cent. A meta-analysis of these effects showed that the introduction of cameras results, on average, in an 18 per cent reduction in injury accidents at the treated intersections. The reduction effect is greater in accidents generated by conflicting vehicle movements, whereas the injury accidents with vehicles moving in the same direction generally increased following camera installation. The average reduction in total accidents, including injury and 'property damage only' accidents, is low. The estimated effects were consistent across the various parts of the analysis. (a).
Abstract