Where they're thinking of putting the red-light cameras

Mutiple locations on Great Northern Road and McNabb Street have been targeted for the City's proposed red-light camera system, City Councillors were advised last night.

City Planning Director Don McConnell and the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service are jointly looking at numerous locations to see whether they warrant installation of the cameras.

Here's the top-ten list of candidate intersections, as proposed by Police Inspector John Campbell.

Inspector Campbell's list is based on five years accident statistics up to 2003:

- Great Northern Road and Second Line - Great Northern Road and Northern Avenue - Bruce Street and Wellington Street - Farwell Terrace and Second Line - Great Northern Road and McNabb Street - Peoples Road and Second Line - Adeline Street and Boundary Road - Black Road and McNabb Street - McNabb Street and Pine Street

The proposed cameras will use sensors to detect a vehicle running a red light, photograph the license plate using film that will then be sent to Ministry of Transportation offices in Toronto where it will be processed.

When appropriate, summons will be issued from there to offenders.

Most accused pay the fine

If a summons is contested, accused individuals will get their day in court, but Campbell's report indicates that most people elect to pay a fine, resulting in little added workload to local law enforcement agencies.

Campbell believes that red-light cameras can reduce collisions, thereby reducing traffic fatalities, injuries and property damage.

According to his report, five cities in the province have been operating red light cameras as part of a pilot project.

To combat aggressive driving such as red light running, they have installed cameras at intersections with a high number of collisions.

Rear-end collisions may actually increase

There've been indications from some communities using red-light cameras that they may cause as many accidents as they prevent.

"Studies of the traffic-control system show that, though right-angle crashes may drop, rear-end collisions increase," says an article in Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer..

When some drivers spot the camera and realize they're about be nabbed for running a red light, they slam on their brakes and get rear-ended by less attentive motorists behind them.

Inspector Campbell addressed this issue in his report, referring to data from the pilot project in other communities.

"While the number of personal injury and fatal accidents dropped by an average of 6.8 percent, the number of rear-end property damage increased by 49.9 percent," he reported.

"The increase in property damage was offset by the reduction in the cost of injuries and fatalities."

What it will cost

Campbell's report puts a tentative price tag of $150,000 on development of four sites for the camera, a yearly cost of $60,000 for processing film, postage, evidence collection and processing the summons.

Campbell also said the majority of accidents in the Sault happen during daylight hours, in clear-weather conditions and at intersections.

His report concludes that potential reduction of injuries and fatalities would out-weigh potential costs of a red-light camera system when used "in conjunction with a stepped-up program of police enforcement of those same intersections."

What happens now

Chief Administrative Officer Joe Fratesi told councillors last night that, contrary to impressions given by local media reports, red-light cameras are so far not a done deal in Sault Ste. Marie.

Over the next few months, City Police will conduct an enforcement blitz at the above-mentioned intersections.

Before and after that enforcement campaign, video cameras will be used to monitor the frequency of red-light violators there.

After weighing the effectiveness of traditional methods of education and enforcement, the final decision on deploying red-light cameras will be made using a cost-benefit analysis.