[Lake County] Red Light Cameras (Schaumburg, Belvidere: tax, costs, law)

[Suburban Gal]

I've noticed many red light cameras along Green Bay Road. I know there's a camera at Buckley and Green Bay, Pulaski and Green Bay, Belvidere and Green Bay, and Grand and Green Bay. Not sure if there's any others along there.

I've also noticed many other red light cameras at other major intersections throughout the county.

While I'm not entirely sure how I feel about them, I had no idea that our taxpayer money went towards installing them.

Do they work? What do you think of them? Are they truly worth the taxpayer's money?

[lakecountylifer]

Many communities have deals with the red light companies that minimize or even eliminate up front installation costs of red light cameras for a share of the revenue pouring in from careless drivers plowing through red lights and potentially killing someone.

http://www.gurnee.il.us/police/red_light_camera/PublicForumsWebPosting.pdf (broken link)

[chitown85]

There was an article the other day in I believe the Daily Herald that Schaumburg is possibly discontinuing its red light camera program.

[chicagojlo]

Schaumburg had to de-commission some cameras because of complaints from the mall shoppers. Personally I am all for cameras, they pay for themselves and bring in revenue that keeps the county from raising my tax bill. I wouldn't even know they were there if it wasn't for people moaning about them.

[chet everett]

The cameras are ineffective at improving safety at intersections. The technology is being misused. The revenue that may come to the towns is temporary and will not do anything to address bigger issues of traffic law compliance.

[cohdane]

I have driven through a red light camera intersection twice a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and occasionally on other days of the week) for over a year now.

There is a discernible difference in driver behavior at this intersection. The craziest thing happens. People STOP. Sometimes I see someone about to blow the red light (like they probably do at intersections all day long), then they remember and STOP.

The intersection clears when it should. Traffic doesn't get backed up by people pushing the yellow and I'm sure the potential for t-bone car crashes has been greatly reduced. I almost never see pedestrians at this intersection, so I don't know what effect it has on that.

There is also a "halo" effect. Stop lights near that one also seem to have more people stop when they should.

In driver's ed, I was taught that a yellow light means "If you're already in the intersection, get out of it. If you're not already in the intersection, don't enter it." The red light cameras just help people "remember" how to drive responsibly.