Springs May Install Red Light Traffic Cameras

COLORADO SPRINGS – Red light cameras may be coming to Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs Police Department wants to install red light cameras around the city. The idea is motivated by safety and saving money. “The red light issue is increasingly of concern, red light accidents, often t-bone accidents, where they are quite deadly,” said Police Chief Richard Myers.

Chief Myers hopes that installing red light cameras will decrease the number of accidents caused by drivers who run red lights.

“I think it’s a great idea, you see so many people zooming through the lights. I’ve noticed to wait before I go on a green because there’s going to be one or two people going through,” said driver Debrah Havemeyer-Smith.

Chief Meyers also stressed that the camera technology will save a significant amount of money. “One of the things people don’t realize is how labor intensive it is to use officers for traffic enforcement. It’s very, very expensive.”

Instead of having police sit and watch for red light violators, the cameras will do that work for them. The cameras will be designed to take pictures of the driver and of their license plate. Taking a picture of the driver will verify whom the ticket needs to be issued too.

The camera technology will allow officers to better serve the community. “We need them doing the highest level that an officer can do. But having an officer sit there watching is important, but the technology is much cheaper,” stated Chief Myers.

Many Colorado cities, such as Denver, have already begun using the red light camera program. The Chief said that it has decreased crash rates in those cities by 60%.