Red light cameras could be coming to major intersections in the City of Barrie.
Barrie councillors are considering the benefits, and wondering whether intersections would be safer with red light cameras watching how we drive.
One person CTV Barrie spoke with today says: “I definitely think we should have the red light cameras. We have them in Florida, and yes I certainly think twice.”
Drivers would know where they are so they'd think twice about hitting the gas.
The cameras are up for discussion and council is talking about possibly bringing them into the city.
“I will say probably the number-one concern I hear when I go to town hall meetings about policing is speeding and traffic safety,” says Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman. “I mean those are concerns that are widespread across the city and anything we can do to make our city safer bears a really hard look.”
Police in Barrie say they're on board and say red light cameras would be a good thing.
“We would want to promote that intersection safety, also for pedestrians crossing the street,” says Barrie Const. Melanie Turner. “It's really about the safety of our citizens.”
Before any decision is made, a study has to be done by both city staff and police to figure out if the cameras are effective.
The city would also check in with other municipalities where the cameras are up.
In York Region, they're already using red light cameras at 20 busy intersections. Anyone caught going through a red light there will end up with a hefty $325 ticket for the vehicle owner.
Drivers are well aware when approaching the intersection they're being watched.
“The primary goal was to reduce side impact or right-angle collisions,” says Paul Nause, traffic engineer. “Those are the t-bone-type collisions that result in the most serious injuries and fatalities.”
The cameras have only been up in York Region since the fall, so there aren’t statistics yet on just how effective they've been in preventing bad accidents or problems. York Region could have some numbers to share this spring.
Earlier today we asked people on our Facebook page what they thought of the red light cameras:
Steve
… having cameras to catch people running red lights doesn't cause accidents, it will hold dangerous drivers more accountable.
Jim
Absolutely not! It will just be another money grab in the future when they start mailing tickets out!
Cathy
I think that's a great idea. Police can't be everywhere at once. Would make people more cautious at the lights …
Before anything happens, council will debate whether to have a red light camera study done and that could happen in the next couple of weeks.
