No WhiteWash!

Florida House approves bill banning red light cameras and requiring slightly longer yellow times.

than a year after the Florida legislature enacted legislation authorizing the use of photo enforcement, the state House of Representatives wants to reverse course. By a 59 to 57 vote yesterday lawmakers approved a bill repealing the provisions of the Mark Wandall Act.

Read more Votes to Ban Red Light Cameras.

Nearly two-thirds of the House of Representatives in South Dakota votes to ban speed cameras and red light cameras.

The South Dakota House of Representatives voted 43 to 24 on Tuesday to prohibit the use of red light cameras and speed cameras in the state. A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by state Representative Peggy Gibson (D-Huron) took aim at the controversial automated ticketing machine set up in Sioux Falls, describing the due process denied innocent motorists ticketed by the system.

Read more via South Dakota House Votes to Ban Photo Enforcement.

Voters request referendum on red light camera program in Port Lavaca, Texas.

Port Lavaca, Texas residents want the opportunity to vote on the future of red light cameras in the Gulf Coast city of 12,000. Activists who formed the group Port Lavaca Citizens Against Red Light Cameras circulated a petition that would force an up or down vote regarding camera use onto the ballot. Under the city’s charter amendment rules, the group needed to secure 289 signatures. It collected 519, plus another one thousand signatures of support from motorists in the surrounding community

Read more via Texas Town Nears Referendum to Ban Red Light Cameras.

I guess the smell of money is too great for Albemarle County.  I am sure that Redflex had some thoughts also on where the cameras should be placed.   Maybe the local citizens will avoid the area when shopping.

Albemarle County, Virginia installs red light camera at location with no angle collisions.

Albemarle County, Virginia plans this week to install its first red light camera system, ostensibly to reduce accidents caused by red light running. County documents show that at one of the two intersection approaches selected, there has not been a single accident caused by red light running in the past three years.

Read more via Virginia: Red Light Camera Installed at Accident-Free Location.

Supreme courts in California and Louisiana turn down municipal requests to rescue photo ticketing programs.

The highest courts in California and Louisiana yesterday denied the requests of municipal officials desperate to save their photo enforcement programs. In New Orleans, the red light camera and speed camera program must shut down after the Louisiana Supreme Court unanimously rejected the city’s request to overturn the decision of Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Paulette R. Irons who found earlier this month that the program violated the city’s own charter.

Read more via California, Louisiana Supreme Courts Thumb Down Traffic Cameras.

The installation of red light cameras increased accidents by 39 percent in Winnipeg, Canada according to insurance claims.

Accidents increased by 39 percent at the intersections where red light cameras were installed in Winnipeg, Canada. Winnipeg Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck obtained data from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), the monopoly provider of cover in the province, revealing collision figures far more negative than those published by the Winnipeg Police Service. The department has consistently claimed that there is a safety benefit to the cameras despite a 2006 report from the Winnipeg City Auditor recommending that the more complete insurance numbers be used because they include all incidents for which an insurance claim was filed.

Read more via Canada: Report Finds Winnipeg Red Light Cameras Increased Accidents.

Experienced class action law firm takes on red light cameras in California.

A team of experienced class action lawyers is taking on California’s red light camera industry, and photo enforcement companies are expressing unease. Last month, the law firm of Pearson Simon Warshaw and Penny, LLP filed suit in San Mateo County Superior Court arguing that tickets issued throughout the Golden State since January 1, 2004 should be refunded where the photo enforcement contracts violated a state law mandating flat-rate compensation to companies like Redflex Traffic Systems. Redflex referred to the case as a particular business risk in an August 25 filing with the Australian Securities Exchange.

Profit from most common red light camera ticket in California could be slashed in half under bill passed by legislature

Read more via California Legislature Votes to Drop Right Turn Fines.

Civil grand jury joins appellate court in slamming red light cameras in San Mateo County, California.

Under court order, Redwood City, California was forced to admit that the red light camera installed at Whipple Avenue and Veterans Boulevard in March 2008 have done absolutely nothing to reduce traffic collisions. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Clifford V. Cretan instructed the city council to respond to a civil grand jury report from June that blasted municipal programs throughout the county that raised $13.8 million from ticketing despite the lack of evidence of any safety benefit (read report).

Read more via California: Court, Grand Jury Bash San Mateo Red Light Cameras

Accidents increased 40 percent one year after red light cameras went live in Baytown, Texas.

After a year of use, red light cameras have failed to deliver the promised safety benefits in Baytown, Texas. The Houston suburb activated the majority of its cameras on July 13, 2008. Since then, the number of accidents at eight camera locations has increased 40 percent, contrary to predictions from city officials. The increase in accidents has not been in minor “fender benders,” as is frequently claimed by photo ticketing advocates. Rather, the number of collisions resulting in an injury jumped 75 percent. Rear end collisions increased 39 percent. Results from comprehensive, independent studies elsewhere in the country have yielded similar results.

Read more via Red Light Cameras Increase Accidents in Baytown, Texas.