Candid Cameras

Through the progressive actions of the board of county commissioners and in conjunction with the sheriff's office, Hillsborough County has become part of an important national public safety trend. We are joining more than 300 communities in more than 25 states to implement photo safety enforcement programs, installing cameras to decrease the numbers of red-light runners, speeders and injury-causing crashes.

The dangers intersections pose to drivers and pedestrians cannot be overstated. According to the Federal Highway Administration:

•40 percent of all crashes are intersection-related;

•Red-light running causes more than 180,000 crashes a year, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and 90,000 injuries;

•A person is 150 percent more likely to be injured or killed at an intersection due to a red-light violation than any other driving situation.

In Hillsborough County alone, it is estimated that more than 800 crashes and three fatalities happened last year when someone didn't stop for a red light.

Our goal is straightforward: public safety.

Data from user cities across the country and multiple research studies have proven that red-light cameras decrease accidents - in particular, the numbers of side or T-bone crashes which cause the most fatalities and serious injuries.

In Apopka, during August 2007, 262 red-light runners were caught when the cameras were first installed there. Importantly, that number dropped to 35 for October 2008. One of the intersections showed a 72 percent drop in crashes, while the other saw a 64 percent decline.

Photo traffic enforcement has also been used in construction work zones to improve safety for transportation workers, in school zones to protect children, and along stretches of city streets where speeding and drag racing have become habitual problems.

Of course, there will be an extensive public notice campaign before any photo traffic enforcement program is implemented. This campaign will include significant signage and a test period where violators will be informed of any transgression without being issued a citation. Remember, this program is first and foremost about safety, not penalizing drivers unreasonably.

Soon this important effort will begin, and I ask for your support as we move forward to save lives - one that could well be your own or someone you love.