Cameras not halting red-light jumpers
Red-light cameras are failing to deter drivers in Scotland from jumping red traffic lights at dangerous junctions, according to a report in The Scotsman last week.
The report said the number of motorists being caught by Edinburgh's 25 red-light cameras shows no signs of falling, and that in Glasgow, which has the same number of cameras, officials say the issue remains 'a big problem'.
Colin McNeill, manager of the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership, said: "This is really worrying - we are getting the same number, month in, month out. It scares me that we are seeing no reduction because, when motorists drive through red lights, it's effectively 'collision time'. Running a red light is a very risky business."
The lack of progress in reducing offences came to light during analysis of the partnership's fines statistics, but the figures are not yet publicly available.
Mr McNeill said a rethink of junction safety might be required. "Red-light cameras are the last card in the pack, so we may now have to go back to the roads engineers," he said.
Neil Greig, the head of motoring policy for the AA Motoring Trust in Scotland, said that drivers had to be reminded of the presence of the cameras. "Red-light cameras do not have the high-visibility markings of speed cameras, and many of them have been in use for so long they have just become part of the roadside furniture," he said. "We need a new driver-education campaign, because we hear a lot about speed cameras but not much about red-light cameras."
For the full story go to: http://news.scotsman.com 
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