Red light runners killed nearly 6,000 people and injured 1.5 million in the United States between 1992 and 1998. In California, 956 lives were claimed during that same period – more than any other state.

Crashes involving red light runners are often lethal because they almost always involve one car striking another from the side. The chances of being severely injured or killed are higher in side-impact collisions because car doors offer less protection to vehicle occupants than the front or rear of the car.

Cities throughout the country are taking steps to combat the problem of red light running by installing cameras at dangerous intersections. The cameras photograph the driver and license plate of red light runners and a ticket for the violation is sent via mail.

Red light cameras have proven to be effective, even for intersections that are not equipped with them. A recent study done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that red light cameras reduce intersection collisions.

The study focused on Oxnard, California, one of the first cities to begin using red light cameras. Since installing the cameras to monitor red light runners in 1997, injury crashes at intersections with traffic signals dropped 29 percent. And while only 11 of Oxnard’s 125 intersections are equipped with red light cameras, crashes declined throughout the city.

While some individuals have raised concerns that the cameras are an invasion of privacy, proponents of intersection cameras argue that driving is a regulated activity on public roads and not a private matter. Recent studies indicate that the public strongly supports the use of red light cameras.

Two 1995 surveys sponsored by the IIHS revealed that nationwide, 66 percent of 1,006 people polled said they favor the use of red light cameras, compared with 28 percent who opposed them. A 1996 survey by the Insurance Research Council found that 83 percent of respondents in large cities supported their use.

In order for localities to enforce traffic laws with intersection cameras, laws must authorize enforcement agencies to cite red light violators by mail, and must make the vehicle owner responsible for the ticket.

The cameras are currently permitted in 10 states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington – as well as the District of Columbia.

Red light cameras are also used extensively in other countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.