Photo Enforcement Studies

Canada

Evaluation of the Red Light Camera Enforcement Pilot Project, prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Transporation, December 2003.
This technical report found RLCs an effective tool in reducing fatal and injury collisions and recommended their continued use.

Photo Enforcement Traffic Safety Study, prepared for the Edmonton Police Commission by Tared Sayed and Paul de Leur, September 2006. 
This extensive report provides a detailed literature review which details numerous studies that show the effectiveness of photo enforcement. It analyzes 25 treatment sites in Edmonton. For Red Light Cameras, the overall reduction in total collisions was 11 per cent, with a 6 per cent reduction in severe collisions; the photo radar program showed a reduction in violations, but definitive evaluation was not possible.

"Safety and economic impacts of photo radar program." Chen G, published in Traffic Injury Prevention. 2005, Vol. 6(4), pp. 299-307
Researchers from Baruch College in New York assessed the economic impacts of a large photo radar program in British Columbia. They found the program prevented a total of 1,542 injuries and 70 fatal collisions annually. Fewer than 10 per cent of tickets were disputed. They estimated the annual net benefit at $114 million to British Columbians, with net annual savings of over $38 million for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.  The study concluded that automated photo radar traffic safety enforcement can help manage traffic speed, reduce collisions and injuries, and combat the huge resulting economic burden to society.  However, it cautions such a program should focus on safety improvement and not revenue generation.

Europe

World report on road traffic injury prevention, jointly issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank in 2004 strongly supports the use of speed cameras (p. 128) and cameras at traffic lights (p. 132).
References cited:
113. Road safety: impact of new technologies. Paris, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2003.
132. Keall MD, Povey LJ, Frith WJ. "The relative effectiveness of a hidden versus a visible speed camera programme." Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2001, 33:277-284.
134. Gains A et al. A cost recovery system for speed and red light cameras: two year pilot evaluation, London, Department for Transport, 2003
*135. Mäkinen T, Oei HL. Automatic enforcement of speed and red light violations: applications, experiences and developments. Leidschendam, Institute for Road Safety Research, 1992 (Report R-92-58).
169. South DR et al. Evaluation of the red light camera programme and the owner onus legislation. Melbourne, Traffic Authority, 1988.
170. Red light cameras yield big reductions in crashes and injuries. Status Report, 2001, 36:1-8.171. Hooke A, Knox J, Portas D. Cost benefit analysis of traffic light and speed cameras. London, Home Office, Police Research Group, 1996 (Police Research Series Paper 20).
* This UK Dept. of Transport report shows the number of people killed or seriously injured has been shown to fall by 35 per cent at sites after speed cameras are introduced by the local Police Force.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Road Safety Improvements, prepared by ICF Consulting, Ltd. for the European Union, June 2003.
Section 3.4 provides an extensive quantitative analysis showing the success of automated speed enforcement.

Cost Benefit Analysis of Traffic Light & Speed Cameras, 1996, a Home Office Research report cited on the UK Commission for Integrated Transport website
Installing and operating traffic light and speed cameras delivers a significant net monetary benefit through accident reduction and prosecution. The 'pay back' period for speed cameras was short with a £5.3 million investment to install speed cameras being returned five times over after one year and more than 25 times after ten years. Speed cameras also release traffic officers for other duties. A saving of just one per cent in traffic officer time has been shown to equate to a saving of up to £4million at a national level.

U.S.

Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras - Executive Summary (National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration, April 2005)
RLCs reduced right angle crashes but an increase in rear-end crashes is noted. This report recommends careful selection of the sites (e.g., sites with a high ratio of right-angle to rear end crashes) and program design (e.g., high publicity, signing at both intersections and jurisdiction limits).

Red Light Camera Systems Operational Guidelines (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 2005)
Provides detailed best practices and a detailed list of references and bibliography including research supporting RLCs.

Federal Highway Administration: List of RLC success stories.

"Red light cameras in Philadelphia all but eliminate violations," Status Report, Vol. 42,
No. 1, January 27,2007. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Australia

2003 Survey
- showed strong support for speed cameras.

Other Australian references are found in the above publications.

Return to top of page