Debate on red light cameras in Florida hots up

University of South Florida researchers have published a report claiming that red light cameras do nothing to improve road safety, directly contradicting a national study by the Institute for Highway Safety that showed a major drop in fatal crashes in cities using red light cameras.
March 15, 2012 Read time: 1 min
3953 University of South Florida researchers have published a report claiming that red light cameras do nothing to improve road safety, directly contradicting a national study by the Institute for Highway Safety that showed a major drop in fatal crashes in cities using red light cameras.USF researchers Barbara Langland-Orban, Etienne Pracht and John Large in a report published this month in the peer-reviewed Florida Public Health Review say cities could do more to prevent red light running before resorting to cameras. They say the key is the length of the yellow light phase: extending it by just one second can virtually eliminate red light running.

Meanwhile, a National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) survey, conducted by national research firm, FrederickPolls, has just been published and concludes that 72 per cent of Floridians support red light safety camera laws. Its website also features the latest study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety hotly contested by the researchers from USF.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK universities' research shows potholes can be fixed better
    February 14, 2013
    Academic research by two UK universities shows that patch repairs on potholes could be far more durable if a few simple techniques were consistently used. An initial study - undertaken by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham in central England– found that the application of a coat of bitumen emulsion between two layers of asphalt in a clean, dry repair, greatly improved its resistance to further cracks. It was also confirmed that a hot mix repair – in which asphalt is heated to 140°C
    Read More
  • Road safety improvements and challenges worldwide
    May 24, 2012
    Road safety is again hitting the headlines worldwide, with new data showing accident reductions being achieved as well as highlighting areas for improvement. Several European nations showed major safety improvements. In Spain, the Home Affairs Office has published encouraging information revealing that the number of fatalities from car accidents fell in 13 out of the country's 17 autonomous regions during 2010. La Rioja region reported a drop of 47%, the best improvement in Spain, while the regions of Astur
    Read More
  • Safety measures aid workzone accident reduction
    February 20, 2012
    Everyone connected with the highway industry is involved in the efforts to cut down the number of work zone accidents. Patrick Smith reports. A few months ago, as road work resumed on America's highways and bridges, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called on drivers to use extra caution in work zones. At the same time he commended the success in reducing overall roadway fatalities in each of the last seven years.
    Read More
  • Concerns over increased US road fatality rate in 2012
    November 25, 2013
    Data from the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that highway deaths increased to 33,561 in 2012, an increase of 1,082 over the figures for 2011.The official Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data reveals that the majority of the increase in deaths, some 72%, occurred in the first quarter of 2012. Most of those involved were motorcyclists and pedestrians. This newly released data marks the first increase in road related fatalities in the US
    Read More

Highlighted Content