Cities alter signals to boost red-light ticket revenue
This is relevant to Maryland, which is steadily increasing the number of traffic-signal ticket cameras. The National Motorists Association compiled news accounts of localities that reduced the time for the amber light, which warns that a signal is about to turn red. With less warning time, the number of people who ran red lights increased -- and so did the cities' profits from tickets. But safety, obviously, declined.
Short yellow light times at intersections have been shown to increase the number of traffic violations and accidents. Conversely, increasing the yellow light duration can dramatically reduce red-light violations at an intersection.Some local governments have ignored the safety benefit of increasing the yellow light time and decided to install red-light cameras, shorten the yellow light duration, and collect the profits instead.
Comments
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/) says that amber lights "should" be 3 to 6 seconds in duration. That's just a recommendation, though, not something that any jurisdiction has to follow.
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2003r1r2/part4/part4d.htm
See "Section 4D.10 Yellow Change and Red Clearance Intervals"
Posted by: Louis Wilen | April 2, 2008 2:39 PM
This is getting insane. I live in the City and they should be better timing the lights to improve traffic during rush hours v. shortening the yellow to add to the coffers. At this rate, Baltimore will nickel and dime its citizens (through this kind of intentional ticketing and parking tickets etc.) and, once again, it will experience another exodus. Hopeful it is before too many swear they are never coming back.
Posted by: stephanie | April 2, 2008 3:31 PM
I moved out of the city and there is no way I am moving back there.
Posted by: Neil | April 3, 2008 7:27 AM
[...] This blog post argues that it doesn’t. Well, more to the point it talks about how it might be more important to get people to: [...]
Posted by: laptop | June 10, 2008 10:18 PM