Crashes At Lafayette Red Light Camera Intersections Continue To Decline, According To Report

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL) -- Traffic crashes at intersections equipped with SafeLight/SafeSpeed cameras continue to decline, according to information provided by Lafayette City-Parish Traffic and Transportation Director Tony Tramel.

Since the program started in October of 2007, crashes are down 64 percent at intersections equipped with the red light cameras, according to an internal memorandum distributed by Tramel to the City-Parish Council.

Right angle crashes at these intersections are down 43 percent since the start of the program, according to the report, while rear end crashes are down 80 percent.

The program generated $12,351,341.50 in 2012, according to the memo. Of that amount, $6,778,492.07 was directed to Lafayette Consolidated Government.

Under terms of the agreement with Redflex, 55 percent of all revenues was to be directed to local government, while the remaining  45 percent went to Redflex. An amendment to that contract, though, will increase Consolidated Government's share of the revenue stream to 60 percent.

According to the same report, 13,991 tickets were issued in 2012 to drivers who ran the red lights at the camera-equipped intersections. 41,288 tickets were issued to speeders at these intersections.

Since the start of the program, 6,426 tickets for running red lights remained outstanding. That amounts to a loss of $895,000 in revenue, Tramel said. 10,500 tickets for speeding at camera-equppied intersections, or $1.2 million in uncollected revenue, remained outstanding, Tramel said.