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.

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.