Yellow Lights Dangerously Shortened for City Profit

Faced with increasing budget shortfalls, cities have turned to the increasingly popular red light camera.  The executive director of the National Motorists Association recently told AlterNe that "there is little doubt that the desire for ticket revenue trumps safety concerns."  Recently, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger noted the expected additional annual revenue of $338 million with his proposal to add 500 speed sensors to existing red light cameras.  Safety, however, wasn't mentioned.  In fact, repeated studies show that these red light cameras are not effective at reducing collisions at intersections.  They are, however, highly effective at increasing revenue.  Some cities have even admitted to shortening the length of yellow lights in an attempt to generate additional citations.  Biller, director of the National Motorists Association, notes that even an increase of only one second can reduce the frequency of red-light running by at least 50 percent.   By shortening the yellow lights, cities are actually creating more accidents.  If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of the negligence of another, please call our office 24 hours a day at 888-973-2540 (888-WRECK-404) for an initial consultation.