Been a while since my last update as not too much has changed on the red light camera front. Newsday had an article last week about the cameras with some interesting info:
- Elene Contegiacomo from New Hyde Park has beaten a red light camera by proving that the car that ran the light was not hers (she was nearby and the offending car was nearly identical to hers)
- Yellow light durations are not expected to change
- Rear-end collisions have dropped in 40 of the 50 intersections in Nassau County with red light cameras
That last one is interesting, there are a lot of discussions about red light cameras causing an increase in rear-end collisions because people slam on the brakes to avoid getting a ticket. For example this 2005 review by the Federal Highway Administration notes difficulty with putting together an accurate study, but says:
The bulk of the results appear to support a conclusion that red light cameras reduce right-angle crashes and could increase rear end crashes
I almost got rear-ended a few months ago for that exact reason. Anyway these numbers seem to show that the opposite effect is taking place in Nassau.