Red-light Cameras: How States Jeopardize Safety by Manipulating Yellow-light Intervals to Earn a Quick Buck: Journal of Legal Technology

Local governments abuse red-light cameras-a device intended to improve safety at traffic intersections-by intentionally shortening yellow-light intervals preceding a red light. This yellow-light interval manipulation increases the number of red-light violations, which generates additional revenue in the form of traffic fines for a local government. When yellow-light intervals are shortened, however, research demonstrates that motorists' safety is drastically reduced, as a seemingly trivial 1.0 second reduction in a yellow-light interval can lead to as much as a 225% increase in crashes at an intersection. It is apparent that this yellow-light interval manipulation defeats a prominent purpose of red-light cameras-safety. With red-light cameras operating in twenty-four states and the District of Columbia, yellow-light-interval manipulation is a growing phenomenon among local governments, especially those experiencing financial difficulties during an economic downturn.