Effects of turning on and off red light cameras on fatal crashes in large U.S. cities

This study updates estimates of effects of activating red light cameras and offers a first look at effects of turning them off.

Among 117 large U.S. cities with more than 200,000 residents in 2014, trends in citywide per capita rates of fatal red light running crashes and of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections were compared between 57 cities that initiated camera programs during 1992-2014 and 33 cities without cameras to examine effects of activating camera programs. Trends also were compared between 19 cities that removed cameras and 31 regionally matched cities with continuous camera programs to evaluate effects of terminating camera programs. Because several cities removed cameras during 2005-2008 and estimated effects might have been confounded by the subsequent economic downturn, primary analyses were limited to the 14 cities that removed cameras during 2010-2014 and 29 regionally matched cities with continuous camera programs. Poisson regression examined the relationship of activating and deactivating cameras with fatal crash rates.

After controlling for temporal trends in annual fatal crash rates, population density, and unemployment rates, rates of fatal red light running crashes and of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections were 21% and 14% lower, respectively, in cities with cameras after cameras were turned on than would have been expected without cameras; 30% and 16% higher, respectively, in 14 cities that terminated cameras during 2010-2014 after cameras were terminated than expected had cameras remained; and 18% and 8% higher, respectively, in all 19 cities that removed cameras, but not significantly.

This study adds to the body of evidence that red light cameras can reduce the most serious crashes at signalized intersections, and is the first to demonstrate that removing cameras increases fatal crashes.

Communities thinking about removing cameras should consider impacts to safety.