Crime & Safety

Red Light Cameras Don't Improve Safety

Peninsula cities fail to prove decrease in accidents.

Millbrae officials have not proven whether red light cameras decrease traffic accidents, after a June 2010 San Mateo County civil grand jury report asked cities to respond to red light cameras' impact on accidents and violations.

The report found red light camera vendors recommend camera locations based on amount of violations and not accident prevention.

"Each violation represents a possible collision," Millbrae Police Chief Neil Tellford said.

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The Police Department also claims it's unsafe for officers to monitor certain intersections, such as Millbrae Avenue and Rollins Road, where an officer would have to traverse several lanes before pulling over the violator's car.

The fine for failing to stop at a red signal, including not properly stopping for a red light righthand turn is $446. Millbrae collects about $120 of the fine and the county and state receive the rest. 

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However, there is a loophole in the legal system that allows people to appeal their red light camera tickets. In February 2009, Noreko Durney was issued a camera citation for turning right on red onto Rollins Road from Millbrae Avenue without properly stopping. Her husband, Attorney Edward Durney appealed the ticket.

"Witnesses in court can only testify to what they saw personally," Edward Durney said. "The officer received a record from somebody else. You can't put materials into evidence that you didn't prepare."

Evidence is admissible in court only from the party that collected it, in this case American Traffic Solutions, the camera company. The court found that Millbrae Officer James Aboud was not qualified to testify on behalf of ATS, and thus the video evidence was inadmissible.

"The sixth amendment guarantees your ability to confront witnesses," Durney said. Therefore, an ATS representative would need to be present in court.

Officer Aboud did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

Millbrae contracts with Arizona based ATS, and although police officials did not disclose financial details, other cities typically pay ATS about $5,400 to $6,400 in monthly operating fees. The Millbrae Ave and Rollins Road cameras average $49,000 a month in city revenue. Additional cameras are located on the Millbrae Avenue southbound 101 exit ramp and El Camino Real and Millbrae Avenue. 

Redwood City also failed to prove red light cameras decreased crashes at Whipple Avenue and Veterans Boulevard since their March 2008 installment. 

In some instances, accidents increased at red light camera intersections. In Baytown, Texas, a suburb of Houston, crashes resulting in injury jumped 75 percent after installment. A 2007 Virginia Department of Transportation report and a 2006 Winnipeg, Canada report saw a 28 and 58 percent increase in collisions, respectively.

After public outcry, fifteen states banned red light cameras. Private companies that stand to make hefty profits, such as ATS and Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. fight against public scrutiny of these cameras. ATS, the same company that supplies Millbrae and Baytown, Texas spent $230,000 in legal fees to overturn a Baytown citizen petition to ban the cameras. ATS also created and funded a group called Keep Houston Safe with $150,000.

For a list of the number of citations issued in Millbrae, click here.


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