XN000022-1993-10-25 — Page 14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1993

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RED LIGHT CAMERA SCHEME SUPPORTED

THE RESULTS OF A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN JULY SHOWS THAT THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SCHEME IS WELL SUPPORTED, FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (MONDAY).

THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SCHEME WAS COMMISSIONED IN

YEAR AS A PILOT SCHEME.

A SPOKESMAN

JANUARY THIS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SCHEME IS TO TEST THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM AS A MEANS OF DETERRING RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS AND REDUCING ACCIDENTS DUE TO RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID A TOTAL OF 943 COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES BEEN COLLECTED DURING THE SURVEY.

HAD

THE RESULT SHOWS THAT ABOUT 84 PER CENT OF THE RETURNS ARE IN FAVOUR OF THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SCHEME.

AMONG THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE SCHEME, 55 PER CENT SAID THE SCHEME COULD REDUCE ACCIDENTS AND IMPROVE SIGNAL COMPLIANCE.

ALL THE RESPONDENTS FAVOUR THE SYSTEM BE EXPANDED то COVER MORE JUNCTIONS.

SITES

HE SAID VIDEO SURVEYS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT AT THE CAMERA TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS.

RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS SHOW AN AVERAGE REDUCTION OF 67 CENT IN THE RATE OF RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS.

PER

"WITH REGARD TO ACCIDENTS, IT IS STILL TOO EARLY ΤΟ CONDUCT ANY ANALYSIS WHICH CAN PRODUCE STATISTICALLY RELIABLE RESULTS, HE SAID.

"

7

HOWEVER, IT IS RELEVANT TO NOTE THAT AN AVERAGE OF FIVE CASES OF RIGHT-ANGLE COLLISION ACCIDENTS WAS RECORDED IN 1992 AT EACH CAMERA SITE WHICH WERE SUSPECTED TO BE DUE TO RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS.

UP TO JUNE THIS YEAR, AN AVERAGE OF ONLY ONE RIGHT-ANGLE COLLISION ACCIDENT HAS BEEN RECORDED AT THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SITES AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS, HE ADDED.

MEANWHILE, THE POLICE, USING THE RED LIGHT CAMERA, HAVE IDENTIFIED A TOTAL OF 1,029 PROSECUTIONS ON RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS AT THE RED LIGHT CAMERA SITES UP TO SEPTEMBER 30 WITH 771 FIXED PENALTY TICKETS ISSUED. THE REMAINING 255 PROSECUTIONS ARE STILL BEING PROCESSED.

SO FAR, ONLY THREE OFFENDERS HAD PLEADED NOT GUILTY BUT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND GUILTY BY THE COURT.

HE SAID THIS WAS A A VERY GOOD PROOF OF THE INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE OF RED LIGHT VIOLATION OFFENCES PROVIDED BY TAKEN BY THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS.

THE

PHOTOGRAPHS

/THE SPOKESMAN