The state Department of Transportation is making a case for “automated enforcement” of traffic violations to lawmakers. If passed, municipalities in Connecticut would have the option to install red light and speed cameras at major intersections with a history of crashes caused by red light violations, in school zones and in pedestrian safety areas.
The DOT’s legislative proposal follows a record year of pedestrians hit and killed by cars in 2022. So far in 2023 there have already been several deaths on the roadways, including a pedestrian killed on Whalley Avenue in New Haven Monday night.
“So, we're already starting the year off pretty bad in terms of where we're trending with pedestrians,” said Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center. He works with data related to car crashes statewide.
“In 2021, we had 2,254 crashes where the law enforcement officer said prior to that crash, one of the drivers ran through a red light or they disregarded the red light,” Jackson said. “[there were] 33 serious injuries and six fatalities for 2021 where running the red light was one of the contributing factors.”
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He says there are long-term traffic calming measures that can be built, but he says the state should really consider installing cameras in areas where data shows a high number of crashes.
“So, enforcement is one of the most effective ways that we're able to correct bad driver behavior. And police officers can't be in every single intersection, they can't monitor everything at every time,” Jackson said.
The DOT’s legislative proposal for automated enforcement includes data from Washington, D.C.’s early installation of speed cameras in 2002. According to the proposal, drivers going 10 miles over the speed limit decreased 84 percent in areas where cameras were installed.
Democratic Rep. Michael DiGiovancarlo, of Waterbury, has also submitted legislation to allow Waterbury to run a pilot program for red light cameras with the support of Mayor Neil O’Leary and the state delegation for Waterbury.
“Red lights, and stop signs seem to be mean not too much to certain people,” DiGiovancarlo said. “And, you know, we're just trying to make the roads much safer.”
He says the cameras would be installed at major intersections and not in residential neighborhoods.
“It's the three, four or five, six seconds after the light has changed. And then even on a solid red, where people just have no regard for other people on the roads,” DiGiovancarlo said.
The ACLU of Connecticut is opposed to the use of cameras, saying increased surveillance has a negative impact on Black and Brown communities.
“We have real racial justice concerns about the implementation of red light cameras,” said executive director David McGuire. “And typically, these red light cameras across the country have been placed in centers where there are lots of black and brown folks who really need walkable cities, they need safe environments to thrive, and more police presence or surveillance is not going to deliver that.”
He agrees with the intention of the cameras to improve pedestrian safety but says it should be done through investments in physical improvements to roadways.
Jackson agrees that the rollout of the program is important and there could be concern about the impact in certain neighborhoods, particularly where there are significant numbers of pedestrians. That’s why he says using data showing high numbers of crashes and injuries is important for installation, particularly if the data shows crashes occurring in underserved neighborhoods.
“So, rolling out some of these cameras in those underserved communities could really improve transportation safety, because it's not always the residents that are running the red lights in those communities,” Jackson said.
New Haven city officials say they support automated enforcement. City residents also agreed.
“I think it’s a good idea. I see Connecticut drivers seem to think a yellow or red light is sort of a suggestion rather than something they should actually do,” said Denise Santisteban of New Haven.
Both the DOT’s and DiGiovancarlo’s legislation is early in the legislative process. It details video evidence that would be mailed along with the violation notice, and an appeals process, and suggestion that the first violation is no more than $50.
DiGiovancarlo is hopeful passage of some form of automated enforcement will save lives with little impact on drivers.
“It's taking a photo of the front license plate, taking a photo of the back license plate. You know, the camera doesn't know who's in the car,” he said. “And again, it's not picking a group in the overall grand scheme of things. If you stop at the light, the red light camera would never get it anyway. But I understand the concerns.”
