(Toledo, OH) A new study may add fuel to the debate over traffic cameras in Ohio.
According to a statistical analysis from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, traffic cameras don't reduce the number of accidents or injuries-- and may even increase them.
The analysis used traffic camera data for Houston and Dallas-- involving thousands of collisions over a 12-year span-- finding the cameras shift traffic patterns, As a result, more drivers tend to brake harder and more abruptly. By slamming on their brakes at yellow lights to avoid an expensive traffic citation, drivers actually encouraged more rear-end crashes.
Ohio lawmakers have tried to ban red-light and speed-cameras, calling them a "cash grab" by local governments like Toledo, who defend their use as a way to reduce crashes and improve traffic safety. Now those claims are in doubt.