Do red-light cameras cause an increase in rear-end collisions?
Yes, the FHWA study found that the average number of rear-end crashes went up 15 percent – but it is very important to put that into perspective – while rear-ends do increase, the overall crash harm to the victims is reduced with the installation of red-light cameras. Right-angle crashes are simply much more dangerous than rear-end collisions. It should also be stated that this increase is not surprising. When a new signal is installed on a roadway, the same pattern is seen – the more severe angle crashes are decreased while the less severe rear-end crashes usually increase to some extent.
