Credit red-light cameras with a drop in serious accidents

We’ve gotten so used to debating whether red-light cameras at intersections cause accidents that we’ve forgotten that red-light cameras can’t cause accidents. What causes collisions is motorists driving in an illegal or careless manner.

Red-light cameras in Suffolk County, a recent study shows, do change behaviors. They cut down significantly on the most dangerous accidents, T-bone and head-on crashes, which most often cause fatalities and severe injuries. They save residents and insurance companies money by reducing those serious accidents, but they lead to more rear-end collisions, so that’s accurate, too. But the rear-enders are typically less dangerous to people and less damaging to vehicles. Overall, the impact of the red-light cameras is positive, but there is room for improvement.

The cameras were installed in 2010. The $250,000 study requested by the Suffolk County Legislature looked at the last three years before the cameras were installed and the years 2015 through 2017. The analysis projected how many accidents the intersections with red-light cameras should have had from 2015 to 2017 if they fell in line with the overall countywide numbers for accidents. The study compared that data with the actual number of accidents at the red-light intersections. Accidents countywide increased 12 percent from 2007-09 to 2015-17, and accidents at red-light intersections were 42 percent higher than projected if there were no cameras. Yet those numbers tell just a fraction of the story.

The crucial point in the analysis is that fatal crashes and accidents involving serious injuries were both 11 percent lower than projections if there were no cameras. That’s mostly because the presence of the cameras reduces the devastating accidents that happen when an oncoming vehicle smashes into one that is turning. Those accidents are reduced at these intersections because drivers run fewer red lights. However, rear-end accidents were 46 percent higher than projected, likely because drivers seeking to make it through the yellow lights hit those stopping to avoid a ticket. These conclusions are consistent with previous studies of red-light cameras in Suffolk. In Nassau, studies show the cameras have done even better. In 2016 in Nassau, accidents at red-light intersections were down 26 percent compared with 2009, crashes with injuries were down 39 percent, and rear-end collisions were down 34 percent.

The Suffolk intersections with red-light cameras are the busiest ones in the county. Combine heavy traffic with so much distracted driving, and it’s unsurprising that these intersections would see larger increases in total accidents. It is promising that they’re seeing fewer serious ones.

Many argue that the cameras are just a moneymaker, but Suffolk’s $80 cost of such a ticket is about half what Nassau gets. Many complain that the system could be better, and this is true. Timers that tell us how long before the light turns red would be a huge help, especially for turn lanes. And smarter lights that don’t hold up motorists at otherwise deserted intersections would be a game-changer.

But the biggest thing that needs to change is drivers, who must leave enough space and pay enough attention to the cars in front of them to avoid hitting them if they stop short or make an unexpected move.

— The editorial board