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Houston Police Department accused of skewing red light car crash study results

It’s a hot topic – do red light cameras really reduce the number of accidents at traffic intersections?  City officials and police departments like to think they do, because it’s an easy way to collect revenue from red light tickets and to police intersections without a police officer physically present.  But, do they really cut down on the number of intersection car crashes?

A recent study in Houston, Texas reveals that the number of accidents at intersections with red light cameras actually increased.  Controversy erupted when the Houston Police Department (HPD) was accused of trying to skew the study results.

While attorneys and activists who have been trying to rid the city of red light cameras jumped on the revelation that the HPD wanted to change the way accidents were counted as proof of conspiracy, the study authors contended that it was part of the normal back and forth necessary to finalize results.

Since the study authors noted that auto accidents have increased across Houston – not just at red light camera intersections – the cameras may not be to blame.  The controversy isn’t expected to end any time soon, although a revised report is due in August 2009.

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