The St Joseph Police Department released this video of how the new red-light safety cameras work. They’re now operating at two St Joseph intersections, Frederick Avenue and the Belt Highway, and the northbound approach at the Belt and Cook Road.
The cameras are operational, but from January 18 through February 17th, fines will not be issued. Authorities will issue warning notices for that 30-day warning phase.
After that you could face a fine of $100 for running red lights. As with the warnings, violators will be sent citations via first-class mail.
Cameras will operate 24 hours a day and capture images of every vehicle running a red light at the selected intersection. Warning signs alerting drivers to the red-light safety cameras have been installed. Cameras will capture two still images of the vehicle as the violation occurs. A separate video camera captures a 10 to 12 second recording of the vehicle committing the violation.
The images and video are securely transferred electronically to ATS operations where the photographs are reviewed by ATS technicians and then by the local police department for final review and authorization. All of these captured violations are reviewed and approved by a law enforcement officer prior to the issuance of a citation. After completion of the warning period, citations will be issued to the owners of the offending vehicles. The registered owner may review the images online, and has the option to pay the fine or appeal the citation in court. These citations do not result in any points on the driver’s record.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 a total of 651 people were killed and thousands were injured in intersection crashes. 12 Missourians lost their lives in red-light running crashes in Missouri in 2010. In 2011, that number was reduced to five fatalities due to red-light running collisions. Red light cameras saved 159 lives in 2004-08 in 14 of the biggest US cities, according to an analysis by IIHS. Had cameras been operating during that period in all large cities, a total of 815 deaths would have been prevented.
Nearly 600 communities in the United States are now using cameras to deter red-light running and the fatalities, injuries and property damage that result from red-light runners. The cameras are able to monitor intersections and accident-prone areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week allowing police officers to deal with other crimes, which makes the entire community safer.