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World Health Report Cites Merits
of Red Light And Speed Limit Photo Enforcement WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 16, 2004) – A new report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank on road safety concludes that red light and speed photo enforcement cameras are effective in reducing the number and severity of traffic crashes around the world, which kill an estimated 1.2 million people a year. The report marks the first major research work issued by WHO and the World Bank on this subject and provides a comprehensive overview of what is known about the causes of traffic crashes and how to best prevent them. Among the report’s findings: A meta-analysis of studies of the effectiveness of cameras at traffic lights has shown that they are associated with a 12 percent reduction in the number of injury crashes. A cost–benefit analysis of cameras at traffic lights in the United Kingdom calculated that the return was nearly twice the investment after one year and 12 times the investment after five years. Barbara Harsha of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), and member of the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running Advisory Board said, “The WHO report provides an excellent comprehensive view of ways communities around the world can reduce deaths and injuries on our roads, and I was encouraged by the report’s analysis of the positive benefits of both red light and speed cameras for traffic enforcement.” Leslie Blakey, executive director of the Campaign, said, “This report reaffirms what many other studies have shown, namely that red light and speed limit photo enforcement technologies significantly reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries. This report should be reviewed thoroughly by national, state and local policy makers interested in making our roadways safer.” The WHO report includes research results from Australia, where the introduction of red light cameras in the late 1980s led to a seven percent reduction in all crashes and a 32 percent reduction in front-to-side impacts at sites with cameras. The report also cites a well-regarded study conducted after the introduction of cameras at sites in Oxnard, California where the number of injury crashes fell by 29 percent and the number of front-to-side impacts involving injury fell by 68 percent, with no increase in rear impacts. Speed limit photo enforcement is also extensively referenced in the report, and its use is encouraged: Experience from a range of high-income countries indicates that speed cameras that record photographic evidence of a speeding offence, that is admissible in a law court, are a highly effective means of speed enforcement. The well-publicized use of such equipment in places where speed limits are not generally obeyed and where the consequent risk of a crash is high has led to substantial reductions in crashes. The report’s recommendations urge governments to:
The WHO report was released on World Health Day and reinforces the global health organization’s year-long focus on road safety. Each year, red light running in the United States results in as many as 218,000 crashes, approximately 880 deaths and 181,000 injuries at a societal cost of $14 billion. The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running is a national advocacy group guided by an independent advisory board that includes leaders from the fields of traffic safety, law enforcement, transportation engineering, health care and emergency medicine, as well as crash victims. More information on the Campaign can be found at www.stopredlightrunning.com. The full text of the World Health Organization
can be found at www.who.int/world-health-day/2004/infomaterials/world_report/en/
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