Updated March 29, 2007
Did You Know ?
Interesting Factoids About Photo Enforcement
Buried British
government reports show camera don't work but police patrols do!
T he motorway road works
figures in the report associate:
- Gatso type speed cameras with a 55% increase in injury crashes
- SPECS type speed cameras with a 4.5% increase in injury crashes
- Police patrols with a 27% reduction in injury crashes
- speed cameras with a 32% increase in the proportion of serious
crashes
A recent study
by the PORT ST. LUCIE police shows that complaints of speeding
are often over stated by the public. This once again shows
that the police surveys reflect opinion only and in many case do not
reflect the reality on the streets. Lets base our traffic
policies on facts and good engineering not on a biased police poll.
In attempt to further hide its operations ACS decided to close its
books to the public after being stung by the US security exchange
commission. ASC consistently has run afoul of the law:
Two top executives stepped down after accusations of 51 million (us)
in stock fraud and questionable accounting practices, ACS is
accused of sabotaging equipment in Washing to DC after loosing a bit
to a rival, the city lost over 8 million (us) in a parking meter
service contract with ACS, ACS was charged with bribing 2
Edmonton police officers, the RCMP investigation is on going.
The Edmonton police chief narrowly avoid a charge of accepting
hockey tickets from ACS. Yet the the city sees no reason to
look in to our contract with ACS despite the former Winnipeg police
officer in charge of the project is now head of sales in Canada.
City councilors in Edmonton are calling for an audit of
maintenance
logs for the city's red- light cameras following a U.S. report
suggesting half the cameras in Washington D.C. don't work. A story
in the Washington Post this week says roughly half of the 50
red-light cameras in the District of Columbia have been out of
service for months. In its attempts to retain the DC contract
ACS tried to buy influence/officials including a $10,000us trip
to Africa. ACS is the vendor that supplies services to Edmonton,
Washington D.C, and Winnipeg.
Lubbock Texas Feb, 2007 on implementing red light cameras;
City Councilman John Leonard explained to KCBD. "From the first week
in office between the new mayor and myself discussions were
initiated on how much revenue would red light cams bring. It wasn't
until we tried to sell the idea to the public that we started
talking about public safety."
Premier of Ontario, CBC
Jan. 14 2004"I
have long been a supporter of photo radar," the premier told
reporters on his way into a cabinet meeting. "It's a revenue
generator, absolutely."
Elizabeth Yard San Diego Police Department, San Diego Union-Tribune
(Car and Driver Dec, 2002)“ I would have to say the cameras
themselves have not reduced the number of {injuries} collisions that
have happened at these intersections”
“ You can watch them speed by and then slow down when they go past a
camera” Then they speed up again when they’ve gone by . We knew this
would happen.” Winnipeg Police officer, Winnipeg, Free Press, June
05, 2003. As many people all ready know Intersection cameras
do not impact drivers except for the actual intersection. The
myth of the "spill over effect " where people all of a sudden drive
properly elsewhere is just that... a myth.
“Adjusting Amber lights would ruin the photo enforcement program”
(Patrol Sgt. Jon Butcher. Winnipeg Free Press Oct 2001). “We
absolutely do not play with ambers” (Bob Chochinov Superintendent of
Traffic signals. Winnipeg Free Press Oct 2001). “Winnipeg
will not follow the lead of some cities where controversial
red-light cameras have caused officials to length or shorten amber
lights. Bob Chochinov, superintendaent of traffic signals said
yesterday traffic light engineers will not lengthen for to six
second timing of amber lights as has been tried in some US cities.
Adjusting yellow lights timing has proven to permanently reduce red
light running by 40-90%. This is is what should be done first
not jump to cameras.
“The
purpose of photo enforcement is to increase safety on our roads, not
to generate revenues for local municipalities or the province”
Highways Minister Steve Ashton (Winnipeg Free Press May 22, 2002)
“Without it, the city would face a two percent tax increase next
year and similar increases in the next five years.” Mayor Glen
Murray, Winnipeg Free Press, May 23, 2002. Even back in 2002
it was already becoming clear that it is all about the money.
"It is a big mistake—borderline unethical—to operate a safety
system, a so-called safety system strictly for revenue generation,"
Butcher says. (January 19, 2004 CBC news). Butcher a past
member of the Winnipeg police force over saw the startup of
Winnipeg's program and now is head of sales for ACS the company that
got the contract! Councilor Gord Steves is on record
indicating it is about revenue. Fines have been increased by
an average of 44% to pay for other police programs. More
photo radar vans have been add as "they bring in more revenue then
intersection cameras", And in case you have not noticed all
the markings that used to be on photo radar vehicles has now been
removed to make them harder to spot.
February 22ed 2007. New Studies in Modesto, California (
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/16/1616.asp )and Cleveland Ohio
(
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/16/1614.asp ) show increase in
accidents and accident severity at red light camera intersections.
Just like the recent audit of Winnipeg's photo enforcement
program
February 15th, 2007 Canada: Winnipeg
Hides Contract Data
Winnipeg, Canada is charging
$10,000 for access to information on its public safety program.
The city of Winnipeg, Canada is hiding embarrassing data about its
photo radar and red light camera program using the province's
Freedom of Information laws. The city is charging a price of CAD
$9,626.79 for anyone who wishes to receive full documentation on the
controversial contract that established this public safety program.
Even after paying this price, the information provided would be
substantially redacted. See full details at
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/11/1179.asp
February 15th 2007. City
councilor Gord Steves has admitted Winnipeg's photo
enforcement program is about money after all. Steeves told the
Winnipeg Sun he’s tired of saying otherwise: “We’ve spent a lot of
time over the last five years trying to spin this like [photo radar
cameras and revenues for city hall] aren’t related. They certainly
are related.” For more details read
Photo radar:
Coming soon to a road near you
an article by David Maclean of the
Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Feb 22ed 2007. 1.8 million
drivers sign petition against "road pricing" A system where by
all vehicales are equipped with GPS technology in order tax the
driver based on where, when and how they drive.
January 19th 2007.
Charlotte North Carolina has canceled its red light and speed photo
enforcement program and will pay a $490,000us penalty to cancel its
contract, when the courts decided that according to state law all
ticket revenues where to go to the school divisions and not the
police. Take away the money incentive and the camera's will
follow.
A recent audit of Winnipeg photo enforcement system shows that the
monitored intersections, showed a marked increase (of 60% for claims
between 0-$5000, and
113% for claims between $10,000 and $15,000) in collision when compared to
other intersections in the city. MPIC data also shows a mere
7%increase city wide increase and only 4% for claims in the $10,000
to $15,000 range!
Sergeant Butcher, the officer in charge of bringing photo
enforcement to Winnipeg, has been well compensated for his work.
Shortly after the city signed the contract with ACS, he left
the police for a well paid job with a camera lobby group funded by
ACS and then went on to be head of
sales in western Canada. ACS is the vendor that was chosen by
Sergeant Butcher for the Winnipeg photo enforcement contract despite
EDS’s lower bid.
ACS has been on the wrong side of the law on many occasions, both in
Canada and the US. Recently two Edmonton officers were charged with
accepting bribes from ACS for helping land a no bid contract to run
Edmonton’s photo enforcement program. In November
(2006), the CEO and CFO of ACS stepped down after admitting to $51
million in stock options fraud.
ACS was accused of tampering with yellow light timing in California
to increase the number of tickets generated. ACS received a portion
of each ticket issued.
In many photo enforcement contracts it has been stipulated that
changes to the intersection that would impact the ticket volume were
not allowed. So things like a lengthening of a yellow light cycle
or other physical changes to improve safety were strictly forbidden.
The city refuses to make public its contract with ACS.
The average speed over the limit has not changed in Edmonton in many
years despite the millions of dollars collected by their photo radar
system. Winnipeg police promoted Edmonton's photo radar by
claiming a large drop in tickets and revenue to prove the system
works. In the the past 12+ years the number of tickets
has increased every year except the one quoted.
There is no red light running craze. Red light running related
crashes are exceeding rare. The city collision stats do not even
have separate entry for red light running.
Over 80% of red light violations occur in the first second of the
red light cycle. While technically an offence most intersections
have a two second all red period to clear the intersection. So most
of the violations are not dangerous and could likely be cured by
lengthening the yellow light cycle which the city has said it will
not adjust.
In a study in Fairfax county Virginia the yellow light cycle was lengthened 1.5
seconds at a busy intersections and violations dropped over 96%.
Three years later the numbers have barely changed despite a leap in
the area population.
Only pro enforcement information was used when “researching” photo
enforcement for Winnipeg. Washington DC was a prime source and is
well know for the amount of money raised and the complete lack of
safety results.
Based on a study done by the state of Michigan and AAA, for the less
then the estimated fifty one million dollar cost of the program for
five years, all six hundred and ninety signaled intersections in
Winnipeg could be redesigned for better safety and all the signal
lights could be computerized and synchronized for better safety and
traffic flow.
Photo enforcement systems have never been approved when put to a
free vote by the public.
Several years ago the Manitoba Provincial government rejected a
private members bill to lower speed limits in school zones (for
safety) because there was no evidence that there was a risk. In
fact the previous five years showed no accidents involving children
in school zones. Yet for some reason this is now a big issues
that needs heavy enforcement.
Some
44,000 people die in collisions in the US every year.. Less then 2%
are the results of running a red light. These numbers also include
drunk drives criminals evading police and other primary causes.
Most
traffic cameras located at intersections have show a propensity to
often dramatically increase rear end collisions. Camera
proponents claim that it is a trade off and that the accidents are
less severe. This may be true but it is also a fact that two
to three times as
many people are killed each year in rear enders
then in red light running collisions
You
are twice as likely to be killed falling down stairs, four times as
likely to be killed choking on an object , twenty three times more
likely to be murdered and over 1600 times more likely to die of
heart disease or cancer, then being killed in a red light running
collision. Lets get the priorities straight if we want to save the
most lives.
Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, West
Virginia and Wisconsin all have enacted a ban on photo ticketing.
Many others including Ontario and B.C. (photo radar, only) have
partial bans in place.
The police say the tickets are not an invasion of privacy and are
like a parking ticket. If you receive a parking ticket you may deal
with it with out any one knowing about it, it is not sent to the
registered owner, and it does not reference
your exact time and location. A photo enforcement ticket is mailed
to the vehicle owner and the driver has no chance to deal with it on
their own. You can not even agree to take responsibility for the
ticket with out approval of the vehicle owner!
When the US Congress allowed states to increase their maximum speed
limits in December 1995, the insurance/safety lobby protested that
these moves would result in horrific carnage -- 6,400 more
fatalities each year (a 15% increase). Actual fatalities and
injuries fell, despite significant increases in total miles traveled
and small increases in average speeds! (Source:
NHTSA-NCSA)
Winnipeg police installed a camera on Disreali freeway despite
knowing it was under posted at 50kmh. It had been marked for
an increase six months prior. Yet they ticketed hundreds
of people before the city had a chance to put up the new sings.
Then they claimed on their web site that the speed limit increase was do to the
data collect by photo enforcement camera!
For the real "scoff laws" that the city is out to get, evading the
system of cameras is simple and most defensive measures like GPS
base warning devices are completely legal.
The safest speed to drive is slightly faster then the traffic
average. You are more likely to be involved in a collision
going 10km slower then the traffic flow then if you are going 10km
faster! This trend continues to be true for larger deviations
from the average speed... Driving 30km over the average is safer
then driver then 30km under! However the consequences of a
collision are more sever at higher speeds.
The police say the system targets the scofflaws and drivers "that
just don't get it". Then our city is jammed packed with
reckless drivers some 300,000 and counting. Since 96% of
drivers were exceeding the Disreali speed limit (when the camera was
first installed). May be we should suspend the licenses of
everyone in East Kildonan as this menace to society must be
stopped!..... Just targeting the "Scofflaw" eh!
The city/police claim it is not about money and want you to slow
down not write tickets. In the spring of 2006 the city
asked for and got a speeding fine increase to make up for short fall
in photo enforcement revenue. At the same time they add
several more photo radar vehicles (they are more profitable then
intersection cameras) including a mini van, an old Ford Taurus
wagon, and more recently a pickup truck. They have also now
removed all indemnification on the vehicles. Previously the
the standard SUV's could be easily identified by the large Police
emblem on the side of the vehicle.
According to the City's audit of photo enforcement (page 23, see
documents section) over all red light violation increased 19%
between 2003 and 2004. And speeding went down but notes
that the photo radar deployments were fewer. But once
again there is no note of improved safety, after all is that
not what this whole thing is about?