Traffic enforcement cameras reduce road casualties

A study by the Institute for Mobility at the University of Hasselt has confirmed that the use of speed and red-light cameras leads to a reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries, the urban mobility portal Eltis reports. The institute investigated the traffic enforcement cameras placed by the Flemish government before 2008 (the most recent official localised accident statistics date from 2008). An analysis of 65 sites with speed cameras revealed a decrease in the number of severe accidents (with people killed or seriously injured) by 29 percent. The total number of accidents resulting in injuries dropped by 8 percent, with all road users benefiting. In places where other measures were taken, such as refurbishment or lower speed limits, the number of severe accidents dropped by 23 percent and the number of accidents causing injury dropped by 10 percent. Red-light cameras at 253 crossings were also analysed. These record both illegal red-light crossing and speed violations. The number of severe accidents on these crossings dropped by 18 percent. Accidents involving injuries, however, increased by 9 percent. In places where additional measures were taken, accidents dropped by 19 percent (severe accidents) and 24 percent (injuries). Red-light cameras decrease the number of side impacts, but increase the number of rear-end collisions, which are usually less severe. The study is the first on the effect of cameras on road safety on such a large scale in Flanders, and the results are in line with similar studies from abroad.