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.

Tennessee lawmakers introduce legislation to limit, expand the use of traffic cameras.

The Tennessee General Assembly, which in past sessions has endorsed the use of speed cameras and red light cameras, is preparing once more to either expand or restrict their use. Bills introduced earlier this month provide the foundation for action that frequently takes a different turn after committee consideration.

Read more via Tennessee Tackles Traffic Cameras Again.

VICTORVILLE • Six of the city’s controversial red light cameras have come down.

Now, with courts across the state raising questions over their legality, a group of local residents and one council member are gunning for dismantling the other 10.

“This is just plundering the High Desert,” Clint Air, leader with a local Tea Party group, argued, citing the $446 fine. “Two tickets is a house payment. One ticket is food for a family for a month.”

Read more via California courts throwing out red light camera tickets | throwing, california, tickets – Victorville Daily Press.

"Public safety should never be about profit"

Aurora, Colorado wants more red light cameras despite lack of demonstrable safety benefit.

Local activists are upset that Aurora, Colorado is doubling the size of its red light camera program even though the existing devices have failed to produce a demonstrable safety benefit. According to the public statements of officials, however, the sole motivation for the change is accident reduction.

Read more via Colorado: Accident Data Ignored in Red Light Camera Expansion.

Washington, Missouri decides to end a red light camera program that failed to produce any safety benefit.

The city council in Washington, Missouri no longer believes that red light cameras have a positive impact on safety. Members voted 6 to 2 on Monday to allow the automated ticketing contract with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to expire, and Mayor Sandy Lucy agreed to draft a letter to the for-profit company making it clear that the council has no interest in ever bringing the devices back.

Read more via Washington, Missouri Dumps Red Light Cameras.

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.

Houston, Texas sues red light camera company while Baytown, Texas schedules shut down of program next week.

Red light cameras are no longer issuing tickets to motorists in America’s fourth-largest city. The Houston, Texas city council on Monday canvassed the results of the November 2 vote and ordered the cameras unplugged. In the nearby city of Baytown, red light cameras will be disabled at midnight on November 26.

"The voting public has spoken," Houston City Attorney David M. Feldman wrote Monday in a letter to Jim Tuton, CEO of the camera contractor American Traffic Solutions (ATS). "Houston must follow the mandate of the electorate. Houston hereby terminates its contract with ATS. This termination is effective immediately. ATS is required to turn off all red light cameras installed and/or monitored by reason of the contract and ATS is to do so immediately."

Read more via Texas Cities Shut Down Cameras After Public Vote.

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.

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.