Red-Light Safety Cameras

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Increase road safety and reduce serious injuries and fatalities caused by red-light running.

Description

Red light cameras are mounted cameras that detect and record images of vehicles that run red lights, including No-Turn-On-Red violations, at signalized intersections. The footage is then reviewed by law enforcement, who issues the citations. The goal of this form of automated enforcement is to improve safety at intersections.

Safety Benefits

  • Reduce red light running.
  • Reduce illegal right turns on red.
  • Reduce serious angle crashes at intersections.
  • Operates 24/7.

Street Types and Context

Applicable Street Types

All street types with traffic signals at intersections.

Other Location Guidance 

  • Crash, speed, and citation data can be factors in assessing and identifying locations for automated enforcement.
  • An engineering safety analysis must be performed for candidate intersections.
  • Locations with limited right-of-way such as bridges may not be feasible for camera system setup.
  • Red light cameras are most applicable at signalized intersections with a history of red light running, red light running related crashes, right-angle crashes, or crashes between a vehicle going straight and a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Primary User Groups

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Key Implementation Considerations

  • Install signage warning drivers in advance of the first red light camera on a corridor.
  • Virginia State Code § 15.2-968.1. allows localities to monitor one intersection for every 10,000 residents. According the U.S. Census, the estimated population of Arlington County is 236,842 (as of July 1, 2019). Therefore, Arlington County can monitor 23 intersections.
  • While red light cameras reduce the number of high impact side angle crashes, they may also increase the number of lower impact rear-end crashes in some locations. 

Expected Crash Reduction

Red-light safety camera enforcement has been found to reduce all injury crashes 16% to 25% (Persuad et al. 2005, Hu et al. 2011).

Cost

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Red light cameras require an initial installation fee and then require monthly operational fees. Additionally, a full-time police officer must review footage to issue citations. Revenue collected from camera violation fines is directed into the County’s general fund.

Timeline

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One to three years.

Application in Arlington

Visit Vision Zero Program Dashboard: PhotoRED to see where this tool has been implemented.

Vision Zero Dashboard

References

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