Study shows injury accidents increased 19.5 percent at red light camera intersections in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Injury accidents increased at the intersections in Virginia Beach, Virginia that used red light cameras, according to a new study commissioned by the National Motorists Association. According to the analysis by Joe Bahen, an ITE member and licensed engineer, the city’s 13 camera-enforced intersections experienced a 19.5 percent jump in injury and fatal collisions, as compared to the city’s signalized intersections that had no cameras.
The report reviewed data from 2006 to 2012. More recent data was excluded because a state-mandated increase in yellow signal timing in 2013 would have skewed the results. While accidents decreased at the camera-free intersections from 2009 to 2012, they increased at the photo enforced intersections. Virginia Beach officials continue to support the cameras despite knowing about the accident increase, which is mentioned in a recent city report on the camera program. Although Bahen offered a more comprehensive analysis that used control intersections, city officials downplayed the importance of rigorous analysis.
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