Red Light Camera Safety Program

“Photo enforcement” is a law enforcement technology agencies can use to enforce existing traffic safety laws. It enables officers to monitor, detect and deter dangerous driving behaviors, such as red-light running, speeding, illegally passing a stopped school bus or crossing railroad tracks while the crossing signal is active.

Law enforcement agencies in the United States have relied on photo enforcement to decrease dangerous driving behaviors since the late 1990s. Redflex Traffic Systems introduced the nation’s first photo enforcement program in Paradise Valley, Ariz. in 1997, which monitored speeding and red light incidents. The program continues to operate today.

Photo enforcement has been used internationally to improve roadway safety since the 1960s.

Photo enforcement is designed for use on roadways with a history of crashes or violations resulting from dangerous driving behaviors, such as red-light running, speeding or illegally passing a stopped school bus. It should be considered once all other safety options have been analyzed, implemented and/or optimized. For instance, prior to the installation of a photo enforcement system, intersections and roadways should be well designed from a safety standpoint, speed limits should be set to the appropriate level for the roadway and yellow-light timing should be reviewed. If the danger still exists after all appropriate safety options have been optimized, photo enforcement could help curb the problem.

• Automatic Detection: Photo enforcement cameras are fully automated. No action is required by an officer at the scene to trigger or activate the system.

Photo enforcement is an automated technology law enforcement agencies can use to detect and record dangerous driving behaviors. Typically, a camera system monitors approaching traffic. The system is only triggered to capture data of a vehicle – including a close-up image of the license plate, date and time of incident and lane number – if a potential violation is detected.

All data is transmitted and encrypted to a secure central processing center and digitally signed, preventing interception and manipulation of the evidence while ensuring the highest level of protection to the chain of custody.

Following a comprehensive review process, law enforcement agencies are provided with secure evidence packages. A local officer reviews and approves the evidence to determine if a violation is warranted.

All photo enforcement systems are compliant with local, state and federal laws.

Photo enforcement is one of the most effective deterrents available, and it is among the only practical means of holding violators accountable on a 24/7 basis. A sampling of studies supporting effectiveness includes:

Photo enforcement does not constitute an invasion of privacy, and numerous courts around the country have upheld this view. When drivers’ receive their licenses, they agree to abide by traffic laws on public roadways that are intended to protect their safety and the safety of others.

Further, any data captured by a photo enforcement camera is only used for law enforcement purposes.

No, photo enforcement cameras continually monitor traffic, but they are only triggered to capture and save data if a potential violation is detected.

Records of violations are only kept for a specified duration established by the respective law enforcement or government agency.

Photo enforcement systems are set to capture data specified by the law enforcement agency within local, state and federal guidelines. This data may include photographic stills and video of the vehicle, the license plate, and in some cases, the driver. It can also include the date, time, location, speed and lane number of the incident.

All data is transmitted and encrypted to a secure central processing server and digitally signed, preventing interception and manipulation of the evidence while ensuring the highest level of protection to the chain of custody. All original images and data are secured in a data vault for safekeeping.

Photo enforcement systems are “cost neutral,” meaning the monies collected from citations originating from photo enforcement can fully fund the programs. Additionally, taxpayers do not front any costs for the system instillation.

In the case of Pinecrest, only a police officer can determine if a citation is warranted. The traffic enforcement system provider, Redflex, provides the police officers reviewing each alleged instance with secure, comprehensive evidence packages that offer the situational awareness needed to assess whether a ticket should be issued.

A photo enforcement violation legally functions just like any other traffic violation. The driver will be required to contest or pay the citation. Instructions for both options are relayed with the ticket.