The Huffingon Post reported recently that the much maligned red light cameras in Chicago could be making busy intersections more dangerous. A Texas A&M study has shown that the red light cameras – – which result in shorter yellow lights – – are causing more car accidents .
The Texas A&M study found that “adding one second of yellow decreases crashes 35 to 40 percent and violations by 60 percent.” Longer yellows give drivers more time to stop, making them both less likely to crash and less likely to be caught running a red. Yellow lights across the city are timed at exactly three seconds, the exact minimum allowed by state and federal guidelines. In tandem with the red-light cameras, these short yellows can make drivers hesitant as they approach intersections, and more likely to slam on the brakes when they see a yellow, said Barnet Fagel of the National Motorists’ Association. The cameras, he said in and appearance on “Chicago Tonight” are “making people drive under pressure and tension, and having their foot poised over the brake pedal.” Fagel claims to have identified lights around the city where the yellow lights hovers around two-and-a-half seconds.
It will be interesting to see if the Illinois Legislature will attempt to ban (or at least limit) red light cameras. They are a revenue maker for cities and for the state, but the question the legislature must ask is if they are making intersections safer, which should have been the purpose for installing these cameras in the first place.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident , then call Chicago car accident attorney , Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation on your personal injury case at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com