Fewer drivers are running red lights and the total number of crashes has dropped at Naperville intersections with red-light cameras, according to a city report.
The intersections of Illinois Highway 59 and North Aurora Road, Highway 59 and Diehl Road, and Ogden and Aurora avenues have seen reductions from about 40 percent to 65 percent in red-light violations since the cameras were installed, according to the report, commissioned by the city manager’s office. The number of violations has started to bottom out, which is what city officials expected.
The data does not include right-turn-on-red violations, which since July 2010 are no longer being cited, except at one corner of one intersection.
The city installed the cameras to help reduce crashes at the troublesome intersections — particularly T-bone and left-turn crashes.
“We’re pleased,” Naperville Sgt. Lee Martin said. “We’re happy that it’s actually doing the things that it has set out to address.”
Data shows that at Highway 59 and North Aurora Road, where cameras have been operational for 28 months, the total number of red-light violations has decreased 65.1 percent. The location has also seen 27.7 percent fewer crashes, the report said.
At Highway 59 and Diehl Road, 41.2 percent fewer violations have been recorded, and there has been a 14.8 percent reduction in total crashes.
The intersection actually saw a rise in sideswipe and fixed-object crashes, but Martin said they were not related to the red-light cameras, and perhaps were due to the particularly snowy winter. The same intersection also saw an increase in crashes with injuries, but Martin said for the most part they were not severe and not indicative of red-light violation accidents.
At Ogden Avenue and Aurora Avenue, violations are down 57.9 percent and total crashes are down 5.9 percent. But sideswipe and fixed-object crashes also are up 75 percent at the intersection.
Cameras at the Highway 59 and Diehl Road and the Ogden and Aurora avenue intersections have been operational for 19 months.
The red-light camera violations come with a $100 fine. Martin said 1,121 tickets have been contested out of 27,935 issued. So far, 55 cases have been overturned.
