Joint Public Oversight Hearing on The Use of Automated Photo Radar Cameras to Detect Red Light and Speeding Violations and Bill 14-327, The "Automated Traffic Enforcement Amendment Act of 2001" - Statements

Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey delivered the following remarks to the Committee on Public Works and the Environment.

Good Morning. Chairperson Schwartz, Chairperson Patterson, Council members and guests. I thank you for the opportunity to present testimony this morning on the District of Columbia’s implementation of automated traffic enforcement programs, the public safety benefits of these programs, and on the proposed legislation that would make changes in our photo radar speeding reduction program.

As always, the text of my testimony is posted on the Police Department’s Website – mpdc.dc.gov. Our Website also includes detailed information about the operation and results of both our red-light camera and photo radar programs. Through the leadership and vision of this Council, the District of Columbia has been able to put in place a comprehensive program to address what our citizens tell us is their most pressing public safety concern – unsafe driving.

Citywide surveys of DC residents, conducted for our Department in both 1998 and 1999, show that unsafe driving remains the top safety concern in almost every one of our neighborhoods – ahead of such problems as attacks and robberies, home break-ins, and drug dealing. The public has demanded action on this problem. And, thanks to the leadership and support of the Mayor, the Council and many other people, the Metropolitan Police Department has been able to respond with an automated traffic enforcement program that is effective, affordable, and enjoys the overwhelming support of our residents.

Despite the impression left by some of the media reporting on this issue, public opinion poll after public opinion poll shows that our residents favor the use of photo enforcement to address aggressive driving behaviors such as red-light running and speeding. AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Transportation Poll 2000 found that 77 percent of DC-area residents support the use of cameras to target aggressive drivers. Another poll, conducted by Riter Research on behalf of the 2001 regional Smooth Operator program, indicated that 78 percent of the licensed drivers in our area favor these programs. And a 2001 Harris Poll, completed for the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, showed that 73 percent of the public support red-light camera enforcement and 77 percent want more speed enforcement, especially in residential neighborhoods.

Our communities favor red-light and photo radar programs for a simple reason: the programs work. They make our streets safer – for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and especially children – by getting aggressive drivers to change their behavior … to slow down and to stop at red lights. I am happy to share with you today our progress to date in reducing red light running and serious speeding in the District through the use of this technology. Before I get into the numbers, let me be very clear about one thing, and that is the goal of the District’s photo enforcement program. Our goal is very simple and straightforward: to reduce the number of traffic violations in our city, thereby reducing the number of crashes, preventing injuries and saving lives. I am very pleased with our results thus far in achieving that goal.

Our red-light camera program became operational in August 1999, following a month-long warning period. Since then, we have seen a 63 percent reduction in red-light running violations at the 39 intersections where cameras are located. That is the equivalent of approximately 24,000 fewer red-light running violations each and every month, just at the intersections.

Let me give you one example: New York Avenue and 4th Street, NW, the site of one of our first two red-light cameras. In August 1999, that camera caught nearly 7,600 motorists running the red light at that location. Last month, the number of violations was fewer than 1,600 – a reduction of 79 percent. I still think that 1,600 motorists running the red light at any one intersection is outrageous. But given the traffic volume at that location and the history of crashes there, 1,600 violations a month sounds a lot better than 7,600. And New York Avenue and 4th Street is not the exception: it is the rule. We have experienced reductions in red-light running at each and every intersection where a camera has been placed – reductions that, quite frankly, would have been impossible using traditional enforcement approaches. To change drivers’ behavior, we need the type of fair and consistent enforcement that photo enforcement provides. The dramatic reductions in red-light running appear to be having an impact on traffic safety as well. In 1998, 16 percent of the traffic fatalities in the District were attributed to red-light running. Last year, the first full year of red-light enforcement, the number was just 2 percent.

At a national level, red-light running is responsible for approximately 250,000 crashes each year and at least 750 fatalities. In terms of injuries, deaths, and property damage, the cost to society of crashes caused by red-light running exceeds $7 billion dollars a year. The sad part is that these losses are preventable, and that the District of Columbia continues to bear some of those costs – both human and financial. But I am pleased to report that the costs of red-light running here in DC are lower today than they were two years ago because of the effectiveness of our automated enforcement program.