From the united States comes to us a study which, as a minimum, should encourage municipalities such as the Madrid to rethink its strategy of monitoring of drivers that jump red lights. The executive madrid Manuela Carmena announced these days, starting tomorrow, will be introduced six new cameras designed to capture these infractions, they will join the 26 that already exist. These systems have been highly controversial almost since its introduction, especially for the suspicion of possible problems in their calibration they did that drivers be punished even when they were crossing an intersection with a traffic light on amber. In the united States have come to a conclusion even more surprising, that the traffic lights monitored not only have not helped to avoid the accident, but have also increased.
If a study did not use rigorous data and a sampling acceptable, their conclusion at the end lacking any validity.
The Florida study would have concluded that the number of accidents at intersections with traffic lights controlled by cameras would have increased by 40% (see survey data). A study published in a moment in which these systems are especially present on the other side of the Atlantic, by a corruption scandal that has led the courts to a public official for accepting bribes to promote the award of the installation of cameras to a particular company.
In any case we must still be skeptical of the thoroughness of the study.
The big problem we found in the sample used to compare the numbers of crashes before and after installation of cameras is grossly insufficient. So you only have employee data for the year prior to the installation of the cameras, and even, and as commented on WTSP, only counted accidents that would be registered as such by involve injuries, impact court, or damages of any importance in a car. Even the periods of time analyzed are not correct, both cameras were to be installed progressively in the different intersections monitored. We have a good example of why such a study without some rigorous data and reliable can lack validity. But still it seems to us that the issue is sufficiently important for municipalities to install this type of cameras are proposed to analyze in depth the impact that can have on the traffic of the city.
From the first minute in which the cameras were installed in town halls such as Madrid, the criticisms have been directed precisely to your paper collection, and not to the function that initially they should comply, to avoid accidents and abuses. Last year even saw how a resource was a driver to get rid of a fine for the lack of an accreditation developments to guarantee the correct operation of the camera.
Also we assume that the risk of an accident at these intersections can increase in situations of danger that I’m convinced that all we have ever seen at a traffic light, and especially in traffic lights controlled by cameras. The situation of a driver practicing emergency braking in order to avoid skipping the traffic lights. But perhaps that is a topic worthy of further reflections, as the excessive rate of speed that at times driving in the city and the respect of the safety distances.
In motor: