One year after the District of Columbia began using cameras to cite motorists running red lights, the number of red-light violations has been cut nearly in half at the more than three dozen intersections equipped with cameras, the Metropolitan Police Department reported Friday.

Red-light running has declined by two-thirds or more at several intersections, including New York Avenue and 4th Street, NW, where one of the District's first two cameras became operational on August 1, 1999. Red-light infractions at that intersection have fallen 75 percent, from 4,685 in August 1999 to 1,149 during May 2000, the most recent month for which complete statistics are available.

At New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road, NE, where three cameras have been operational since October, the number of red-light infractions has decreased 68 percent, from 2,118 to 680 a month. At the 37 cameras citywide, the number of red-light citations mailed to violators has fallen from 23,505 a month to 12,306 a month, a reduction of more than 47 percent.

"One year ago, I said the goal of our photo enforcement program was to prevent needless injuries and save lives by reducing the number of motorists who brazenly run red lights in the District," Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey said. "The fact that red-light violations have been cut in half at intersections equipped with cameras confirms that photo enforcement is an effective deterrent to this reckless and dangerous behavior that occurs with alarming frequency on our city's streets."

Earlier this month, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that more than 800 people in the United States die each year, and an estimated 200,000 are injured, in crashes that involve red-light running. According to Institute research, photo enforcement cameras have reduced red-light running by approximately 40 percent nationwide. The District's first-year decrease of 47 percent exceeds the national average.

"Our data show that 11,000 fewer motorists a month are running red lights at intersections equipped with cameras. While it is impossible to know how many crashes have been prevented and how many lives have been saved, we do know for certain that the streets of the District of Columbia are safer for both motorists and pedestrians as a result of this program," Ramsey said.

The District's photo enforcement program began August 1, 1999, with the operation of two cameras. A total of 37 cameras are now installed, with four additional cameras in the process of being put on-line. When a motorist enters a photo-enforced intersection after the traffic signal has turned red, the camera takes a picture of the rear of the vehicle. Based on the license plate number, a Notice of Infraction is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, as provided by District law. Each red-light violation carries a $75 fine.

More information about the District's photo enforcement program, including a map of current and planned camera locations, can be found on the Police Department's Web site: www.mpdc.org. Residents are also encouraged to use the Web site to recommend locations for future photo enforcement cameras.