KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Steve Glorioso, a spokesperson for American Traffic Solutions the company that contracts with the city of Kansas City to run the camera program, released a video of near-crashes and crashes that he says were caused by people running red lights in the Kansas City area this past year.
The close calls occur at US 71 & 59th Street, US 71 & 55th Street, SW Trafficway & 39th Street. Then the video (in the player below) shows crashes at US 71 & Gregory Blvd, 19th & Walnut, I-435 & Winner Road, and 39th & Main St.
Click here for the youtube link.
Glorioso says accidents caused by people running red lights have dropped significantly since 2009 when the first cameras were installed.
Overall, his statistics show a 65% decline in serious crashes from running red lights at intersections monitored by cameras. The City is in the process of expanding the program to add additional cameras at more intersections in 2013.
In July, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department reported their findings to the city council. According to Kansas City officials, the three-year study looked at over 2,500 case reports and shows that traffic fatalities have been reduced to zero and dangerous collisions are down significantly at the 17 KCMO intersections equipped with the cameras, which are triggered when a vehicle runs a red-light at an intersection.
The KCPD study shows crashes stemming from running a red light decreased 65 percent in the first year after the cameras were installed and 54 percent in the second year after the cameras were installed.
However, some community activists dispute Glorioso’s and police findings, believing red light cameras are unsafe and want them removed. Click here for past red light camera stories on fox4kc.com.
