Call me anal... call me paranoid. But, when I'm returning home from work (usually around three to five in the morning,) I actually slow down at intersections enough to make sure no one is about to blast through a redlight & turn me into lasagna.

Many intersections near where I live, however, now have these nifty little cameras. At first, I hated the idea. It seems like it gives too much of an opportunity for them to abuse us.

What do you guys think.


Oh, and before you respond, check out this story... it seems they work.

Research: Red-light cameras work
They're changing behavior, but some say rights violated

By Larry Copeland
USA TODAY

ATLANTA — Surveillance cameras at major intersections dramatically reduce the number of drivers who barrel through red lights, two new research reports say.

The findings come as debate about the controversial devices continues a decade after they were introduced. The battles include a proposal to ban the cameras here in Georgia, litigation in at least three states and legislative efforts to permit them in six other states.

The cameras automatically photograph vehicles that drive into intersections after the light turns red. Vehicle owners are then mailed citations instructing them to pay a fine or sign an affidavit that they weren't driving at the time.

More than 850 people die and about 170,000 are injured each year in crashes caused by drivers running red lights, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

Researchers studied the effectiveness of red-light cameras in Philadelphia and Virginia Beach.

The Philadelphia study, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry group, examined red-light violations using a two-step approach. First, researchers found that violations dropped by 36% after yellow lights were extended to give drivers more warning that the light was about to turn red. After red-light cameras were added, remaining violations dropped by 96%.

"There's a dramatic change in driver behavior when red-light cameras are used," says Richard Retting, senior transportation safety engineer for IIHS. "The jury is in on that question."

The Virginia Beach study, conducted by Old Dominion University, examined signal violations at four intersections before red-light cameras were installed, while they were operating and after they were removed in 2005. Violations more than tripled by August 2006.

"That's a huge jump," says lead researcher Bryan Porter, an associate professor of psychology at Old Dominion. "The rate of red-light running was actually higher" than before the cameras were installed.

The popularity of the cameras is growing rapidly despite opposition that centers on constitutional grounds. About 250 communities around the USA use the devices, according to the Insurance Institute. Just 10 years ago, only New York and San Francisco had them.

Opponents say the cameras deny drivers their right to confront their accusers in court and are a ploy by local governments to raise revenue.

"There is a lot of money to be made with them," says Howard Bass, a Minnesota attorney who successfully challenged Minneapolis' red-light camera system in a case that will be argued before the state Supreme Court next month. "Ultimately, this is an issue that may have to be decided in the court of public opinion rather than courts of law. It's a public policy issue of how much surveillance creep we will tolerate in the 21st century."