Red Light Cameras

 
The City of St. Albert and the St. Albert Detachment of the RCMP place a strong emphasis on ensuring we have a safe community, including safe roads. Over 50 per cent of collisions on St. Albert Road occur at intersections. Running a red light is the major cause of these collisions.
 
The red light camera system is connected to the traffic signal sensors buried in the pavement at crosswalks or stop lines. This system continuously monitors the traffic signal, and the camera is triggered when a vehicle passes over the sensors after the signal has turned red. The camera records the date, time and the time elapsed since the beginning of the red signal. An electronic flash produces clear images of vehicles under all light and weather conditions.
  1. Is red light running a big problem?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States found that running red lights and other traffic controls like stop and yield signs constitute the most frequent type of urban crash. Between 1990 and 1991, researchers studied police reports of crashes on public roads in four urban areas. Of the 13 crash types researchers identified, running traffic controls accounted for 22 per cent of all crashes. Among these crashes involving running traffic controls, 24 per cent involved running red lights. The same study showed that motorists are more likely to be injured in crashes involving red light running than in other types of crashes. As well, occupant injuries occurred in 45 per cent of the red light running crashes studied, compared with 30 per cent for other crash types.
 
2. Can I get a ticket if the car beside me runs a red light but I don't? 
No. A ticket is issued only to the vehicle that is pictured inside the intersection, not at the stop line.
  
3. If I stop just over the line, will I get a red light ticket? 
No. Only vehicles that enter the intersection on a red light and then proceed through will be ticketed. 

4. Will I get a ticket if I turn right at a red light without stopping? 
Yes. Your vehicle must always come to a complete stop before turning right on a red light.  
5. Do red light cameras photograph every vehicle passing through an intersection? 
No. The cameras are set so only those vehicles that enter an intersection after the light has turned red are photographed. Drivers who enter on a yellow light and find themselves in an intersection when the light changes to red are not photographed. This technology is intended to catch vehicles driven by motorists who intentionally enter an intersection well after the signal has turned red.  
 
6. Does someone review the photographs before motorists are issued tickets?
Yes. Trained personnel review every picture to verify information and ensure that the vehicle is in violation. Tickets are mailed to vehicle owners only in cases where it is clear the vehicle ran the red light. The registered owner of the vehicle photographed will receive a ticket in the mail.
 
7. Do red light cameras violate a motorist's privacy? 
No. Driving is a regulated activity on public roads. By obtaining a licence, motorists agree to abide by certain rules, such as obeying traffic signals. Neither the law nor common sense suggests drivers should not be observed on the road or have their violations documented. Most red light camera systems photograph only a vehicle's rear license plate and not vehicle occupants. 
  
8. Does the Canadian public support the use of red light cameras? 
A recent survey of from the Canadian Safety Council indicates 79 per cent of Canadians support the use of red light camera technology to reduce the incidents of red light running. These results are also supported by a 1993 Canadian Automobile Association study. In this study, 84 per cent of Albertans polled favored red light cameras, while only 12 per cent were opposed. The study also found that 71 per cent of Albertans polled felt the red light cameras would reduce the number of accidents at intersections.  
 
9. What other Alberta communities use red light cameras? 
In Alberta, red light cameras have been installed in Edmonton, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, and The County of Strathcona. In April 1998, Strathcona County (east of Edmonton) installed the first red light camera in Alberta. Initially, an average of 18-20 vehicles per day proceeded through the intersection during the red light phase. One year after the camera was installed, red light violations at the intersection declined to 4-5 violations per day.