Skip to content

Traffic Safety Group Counters Red Light Cam Propaganda With Brutal Truth

You've probably heard some variant of the saying "If slaughterhouses had windows, there would be a lot more vegetarians." Well, if this video from the Traffic Safety Coalition were aired at every debate over red light cameras, there would be a hell of a lot more red light cameras. Brace yourself before you hit play. There are some graphic moments.

You’ve probably heard some variant of the saying “If slaughterhouses had windows, there would be a lot more vegetarians.” Well, if this video from the Traffic Safety Coalition were aired at every debate over red light cameras, there would be a hell of a lot more red light cameras. Brace yourself before you hit play. There are some graphic moments.

The uninformed, misleading blather from the talking heads, car lobbyists, anti-government conspiracy theorists and self-entitled drivers, all professing distrust and contempt for automated traffic enforcement, is rendered moot by jarring footage of real-life collisions. Interspersed are slides citing national and local data showing that red light collisions kill — 676 dead and 113,000 injured in 2009 alone — and red light cams save lives.

The coalition has a multi-faceted membership representing traffic safety, law enforcement, health care, victim’s advocacy, government and industry sectors, with a goal of improving safety for all street users nationwide.

With a speed camera bill coming up in Albany this session, the following may be of particular interest to New York residents: The coalition reports that speeds in Portland, Oregon dropped by an average of 5 mph in photo-enforced school zones.

Photo of Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Rampant Placard Abuse is Mucking Up This Bike Lane in Downtown Brooklyn

April 13, 2026

Mamdani Is Falling Short of New York City’s Greenway Dream

April 13, 2026

Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT

April 13, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: A Century of Days Edition

April 13, 2026

FIRST ON STREETSBLOG: Mamdani To Fully Fund Trash Containerization

April 12, 2026
See all posts