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posted by martyb on Friday July 20 2018, @03:36AM   Printer-friendly
from the but-they-do-work-to-raise-ticket-income dept.

Phys.org:

Red-light cameras don't reduce the number of traffic accidents or injuries at intersections where the devices are installed, according a new analysis by Case Western Reserve University.

Touted by supporters as a way increase public safety by ticketing drivers who continue through red lights, the cameras actually shift traffic patterns: More drivers tend to brake harder and more abruptly, increasing fender-benders and other so-called "non-angle" collisions.

"Once drivers knew about the cameras, they appeared to accept a higher accident risk from slamming on their brakes at yellow lights to avoid an expensive traffic citation—thereby decreasing safety for themselves and other drivers," said Justin Gallagher, an assistant professor of economics at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve.

Accidents didn't decrease, only shift.


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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday July 20 2018, @03:04PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 20 2018, @03:04PM (#709953) Journal

    Whether a local government raises taxes or comes up with other innovative ways to raise revenue, it ultimately comes out of your pocket but is just more obscured.

    The advantage of taxes is that you KNOW how much you are paying for what benefits you see (or don't see) from the local government.

    Other ways of paying ultimately come out of your pocket, but not in ways easily measurable. For example, artificially creating more auto accidents at intersections is something that comes out of YOUR pocket. Insurance is not just some magical pool of money in the sky. Then we complain about various societal problems obscured by the schemes we used to raise government revenue instead of just directly paying fair taxes.

    We need to have enough government to do its job, but we should keep the size of it under control as long as it is still able to do its job. We need roads, bridges, street lights, clean water, breathable air, etc.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
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