An Evaluation Of Red Light Camera Photo Red Enforcement Programs In Virginia

Red light running, which is defined as the act of a motorist entering an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red, caused almost 5,000 crashes in Virginia in 2003, resulting in at least 18 deaths and more than 3,800 injuries. In response to a June 2, 2004, directive from Virginia Secretary of Transportation Whittington W. Clement, an evaluation of the photo-red enforcement programs that operate in Virginia was undertaken. Generally, Virginia's photo-red programs are technically feasible. Case law strongly indicates that the programs pass legal muster in the three key areas: privacy, equal protection, and due process, and public opinion surveys suggest that roughly two-thirds of respondents support red light cameras. There is, however, a practical issue with regard to issuing citations for out-of-state motorists, as noted in the report. Although an economic analysis was not feasible in the study time frame, a limited fiscal analysis suggests that, in general, Virginia localities are not generating net revenue. Finally, an operational analysis based on violations and crashes shows a potential but not definite safety improvement. The cameras clearly affect driver behavior; across the 23 intersections where reliable citation data could be obtained, citations decreased by an average of 21% per intersection. Further the data show that the cameras are correlated with a definite decrease in crashes that are directly attributable to red light running, a definite increase in rear-end crashes, a possible decrease in angle crashes, a net decrease in injury crashes attributable to red light running, and an increase in total injury crashes. More time is needed to determine whether the severity of the eliminated red light running crashes was greater than that of the induced rear-end crashes. The report recommends that Virginia's photo-red enforcement programs be continued for an additional year to resolve this question and to collect additional data that was not feasible during the 6-month time frame of this report.

Contains summaries of the knowledge regarding the effects of 128 road safety measures. This title covers various areas of road safety including: traffic control; vehicle inspection; driver training; publicity campaigns; police enforcement; and, general policy instruments. It also covers topics such as post-accident care, and speed cameras.

The goal of this research was to find out which automated enforcement programs have been successful and what contributed to their success, as well as which programs have been unsuccessful and to draw lessons from their experiences. This was accomplished through a comprehensive assessment of automated speed and red light running enforcement activity in the United States and Canada, which led to the development of guidelines to assist agencies in implementing and operating successful automated enforcement programs. Over 350 jurisdictions with current or past automated enforcement programs were contacted by survey and phone as part of the assessment. In addition to the survey, an extensive literature review was conducted to determine the effect of the programs, cost effectiveness, and resource requirements, and to get the perspective of the public.

This volume gives an overview of the trends in Traffic and Transport Psychology. It reflects the considerable development of the most important factors for driving a road vehicle, and the variety of international research approaches. The first part contains basic approaches and integrated models as well as general theories and their implementation into Traffic and Transport Psychology. The second part deals with the driver, especially cognition, performance, social and differential effects and impairment. Important aspects are treated, such as speed perception, reaction times, interaction, risk acceptance, aggression and gender differences. Special chapters refer to performance and fatigue. The third part focuses on safety, driver support, selection and influencing drivers by enforcement, training and programs for the rehabilitation of traffic offenders. Classic ergonomic methods are discussed as well as modern telematic devices, or trends regarding driver-assessment. In the last part, current developments are presented in relation to better mobility and the protection of the environment. Questions are asked, such as whether we could reduce the use of cars, how travel behaviour can be modified or to what extent the use of alternatives to motor vehicles benefits safety as well as the environment. This work is not only important for psychologists. It should be read by all transport professionals interested in the application of psychology to traffic.

Despite being an accepted construct in traffic and transport psychology, the precise nature of behavioural adaptation, including its causes and consequences, has not yet been established within the road safety community. A comprehensive collection of recent literature, Behavioural Adaptation and Road Safety: Theory, Evidence, and Action explores behavioural adaptation in road users. It examines behavioural adaptation within the context of historical and theoretical perspectives, and puts forth tangible—and practical—solutions that can effectively address adverse behavioural adaptation to road safety interventions before it occurs. Edited by Christina Rudin-Brown and Samantha Jamson, with chapters authored by leading road safety experts in driver psychology and behaviour, the book introduces the concept of behavioural adaptation and details its more relevant issues. It reviews the definition of behavioural adaptation that was put forward by the OECD in 1990 and then puts this definition through its paces, identifying where it may be lacking and how it might be improved. This sets the context for the remaining chapters which take the OECD definition as their starting points. The book discusses the various theories and models of behavioural adaptation and more general theories of driver behaviour developed during the last half century. It provides examples of the "evidence" for behavioural adaptation—instances in which behavioural adaptation arose as a consequence of the introduction of safety countermeasures. The book then focuses on the internal, "human" element and considers countermeasures that might be used to limit the development of behavioural adaptation in various road user groups. The book concludes with practical tools and methodologies to address behavioural adaptation in research and design, and to limit the potential negative effects before they happen. Supplying easy-to-understand, accessible solutions that can be implemented early on in a road safety intervention’s design or conception phase, the chapters represent the most extensive compilation of literature relating to behavioural adaptation and its consequences since the 1990 OECD report. The book brings together earlier theories of behavioural adaptation with more recent theories in the area and combines them with practical advice, methods, and tangible solutions that can minimise the potential negative impact of behavioural adaptation on road user safety and address it before it occurs. It is an essential component of any road safety library, and should be of particular relevance to researchers, practitioners, designers, and policymakers who are interested in maximizing safety while at the same time encouraging innovation and excellence in road transport-related design.

"The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is a resource that provides safety knowledge and tools in a useful form to facilitate improved decision making based on safety performance. The focus of the HSM is to provide quantitative information for decision making. The HSM assembles currently available information and methodologies on measuring, estimating and evaluating roadways in terms of crash frequency (number of crashes per year) and crash severity (level of injuries due to crashes). The HSM presents tools and methodologies for consideration of 'safety' across the range of highway activities: planning, programming, project development, construction, operations, and maintenance. The purpose of this is to convey present knowledge regarding highway safety information for use by a broad array of transportation professionals"--p. xxiii, vol. 1.

In The Future of the Internet: And How to Stop It Jonathan Zittrain explores the dangers the internet faces if it fails to balance ever more tightly controlled technologies with the flow of innovation that has generated so much progress in the field of technology. Zittrain argues that today's technological market is dominated by two contrasting business models: the generative and the non-generative. The generative models - the PCs, Windows and Macs of this world - allow third parties to build upon and share through them. The non-generative model is more restricted; appliances such as the xbox, iPod and tomtom might work well, but the only entity that can change the way they operate is the vendor. If we want the internet to survive we need to change. People must wake up to the risk or we could lose everything.