Highway and Auto Safety Advocates Urge Favorable Report on SB8

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) is urging the Transportation and Interstate Cooperation Committee to favorably report SB8, which permits a local authority to make the determination of whether to use automated traffic law enforcement systems. According to the Indiana Department of Motor Vehicles, more than 7,000 “failure to obey a traffic light or signal” violations were issued in 1999. A recent study by Purdue University’s Center for the Advancement of Transportation Safety found that at a high traffic volume intersection, there were 30 red light running violations in 45 minutes.

The study also found that 96 percent of drivers think red light running is dangerous, two-thirds said it is a problem in Indiana, and 56 percent say they see red light violations at least a few times a week.

A recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) poll revealed the same level of support. Also, an April 2001 survey of 10 cities by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that favorable opinions about red light camera use exceeded 70 percent in communities both with and without photo enforcement programs. In fact, the communities with systems in place even had slightly higher approval ratings.

The Advocates stated that Senate Bill 8 will put the decision of whether to use automated traffic law enforcement systems into the hands of local communities.

Topics Auto