It’s not unexpected that the speeders and red light runners in Oak Ridge Tennessee are hot and bothered about the new traffic cameras and this past Thursday they got their opportunity to go to court and fight their digitally generated tickets. When faced with the video replay of their speeding and red light running ways, they quickly paid up and left the courthouse lighter in the wallet but hopefully fuller in the knowledge that the days of speeding and running red lights in Oak Ridge have come to an end.

Saves Lives and Reduces Injuries

There’s a new Sheriff in town and the new sheriff’s name is Red Flex Inc. a private contractor with the city that has installed, at their own expense, state of the art digital camera systems at several key intersections. As noted in an segment on Knoxville TV station WATE channel 6, ” The cameras have been pumping out thousands of citations since the first ones went online over the summer.”

Most of the Oak Ridger’s complaints center around the amount of the money generated by the cameras.  Red Flex has created a crackerjack system of identifying speeders and red light runners, distributing tickets and collecting the fines which it splits with the city. The main purpose of the system is to reduce deaths and serious injuries. Statistic from other cities around the world show that deaths and serious injuries are greatly reduced by the use of this technology.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2005 alone, nearly 9,200 people died and approximately one million people were injured in intersection-related crashes-approximately 40-45 percent of all crashes. The two main factors of these accidents is those who speed through intersections and those who run red lights. This is significant to say the least. And the proof will take months to a year before the accident reduction statistics are in but my hat is off to the Oak Ridge representatives for showing far thinking leadership in trying to protect their citizen’s lives and property.

If you or a loved one is injured by a speeder or red light runner contact the experienced Nashville injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates to find out about your right sand remedies.

Changing Driver Behavior

According to the results of a new poll released by Redflex Traffic Systems the largest digital red light and speed enforcement system provider in the US, the vast majority of the 600 Louisiana residents polled support the use of photo traffic enforcement to monitor speeding and red light running, and believe that technology brings positive improvement to driver behavior while reducing traffic accident and fatalities:

Key findings include:

72% believe the legislature should allow the use of traffic cameras;

70% said they support the use of videos cameras to monitor red light running and feel safer with cameras in place;

66% said they feel safer with the use of video cameras to monitor speed;

98% agreed that red light running poses and danger to drivers and passengers and 96% consider speeding to present a strong level of danger to themselves and others.

Not everyone in the many states where Redflex operates feel the same way as those in the company produced poll. Lawsuits have been filed in Louisiana and Texas alleging that the company is in violation of the state laws that require private detectives to be licensed and bonded. These lawsuits have been dismissed by the state and federal courts, and it appears that such a claim is no longer viable. The complainants object to getting a notice in the mail with strict penalties for not responding (paying or objecting) in a clearly delineated time period under threat of having your car confiscated, booted or your account turned over to a credit collection and reporting agency.

Red light camera programs have proven to decrease drastically the incidence of red light running and collisions all over the nation. In a recent study conducted by the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute, monitored intersections have shown an overall 30 percent decrease in collisions and dangerous right angle collisions were reduced by 43 percent.

Tomorrow I’ll bring you up to date on a Tennessee city, Oak Ridge, that has been using the REDFLEX program since June of this year. If you or a loved one is injured by a motorist that runs a red light or is speeding we urge you to contact our Tennessee car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an Tennessee auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer.