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State officials fear sudden braking might cause crashes
State roads will be exempt from a new Denver campaign against red-light runners because Colorado fears that it might cause more accidents than it prevents, a city official said Wednesday.
The problem: motorists seeing signs announcing that a photo trap is near may slam on their brakes, causing rear-end collisions.
Exempt roads include Colfax Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, Sheridan Boulevard and Federal Boulevard.
Jake Kononov, regional traffic and safety engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the results of such programs in other areas have been mixed.
"We are reluctant to proceed full speed ahead," he said, until there is more information about the effect on wrecks and injuries.
Denver, meanwhile, hopes to start using photo traps to catch lead-footed motorists early next year, said Roberto Venegas, aide to the mayor's office.
The city will target at least four intersections, though details have not been worked out, Venegas said.
He said that experience in Fort Collins, Boulder and Northglenn has persuaded the city that photo enforcement prevents accidents.
An intersection with photo enforcement reduces red-light infractions by 45 percent, he said.
A preliminary budget presented to the city council Wednesday would be $725,000. With startup costs out of the way, second year costs could be in the $426,000 range, Venegas said.
Income from traffic tickets - some $75 per infraction - would balance the costs, making the program largely revenue neutral, he said.
That assumes the program catches 20 infractions a day. The numbers depend on exactly how many intersections are flagged and what technology is used.
A joint council committee decided Wednesday to send the matter to the full council for a decision.
Similar to photo radar, the plan would take pictures of cars and drivers involved in red-light infractions.
Venegas said that only about 45 percent of the infractions detected result in tickets. The remainder are dismissed because of poor picture quality and other factors.
State rules require that a sign warn motorists when they are about to enter a photo trap. It's that sign that the state believes might cause aggressive braking, Venegas said.
State roads will be exempt from a new Denver campaign against red-light runners because Colorado fears that it might cause more accidents than it prevents, a city official said Wednesday.
The problem: motorists seeing signs announcing that a photo trap is near may slam on their brakes, causing rear-end collisions.
Exempt roads include Colfax Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, Sheridan Boulevard and Federal Boulevard.
Jake Kononov, regional traffic and safety engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the results of such programs in other areas have been mixed.
"We are reluctant to proceed full speed ahead," he said, until there is more information about the effect on wrecks and injuries.
Denver, meanwhile, hopes to start using photo traps to catch lead-footed motorists early next year, said Roberto Venegas, aide to the mayor's office.
The city will target at least four intersections, though details have not been worked out, Venegas said.
He said that experience in Fort Collins, Boulder and Northglenn has persuaded the city that photo enforcement prevents accidents.
An intersection with photo enforcement reduces red-light infractions by 45 percent, he said.
A preliminary budget presented to the city council Wednesday would be $725,000. With startup costs out of the way, second year costs could be in the $426,000 range, Venegas said.
Income from traffic tickets - some $75 per infraction - would balance the costs, making the program largely revenue neutral, he said.
That assumes the program catches 20 infractions a day. The numbers depend on exactly how many intersections are flagged and what technology is used.
A joint council committee decided Wednesday to send the matter to the full council for a decision.
Similar to photo radar, the plan would take pictures of cars and drivers involved in red-light infractions.
Venegas said that only about 45 percent of the infractions detected result in tickets. The remainder are dismissed because of poor picture quality and other factors.
State rules require that a sign warn motorists when they are about to enter a photo trap. It's that sign that the state believes might cause aggressive braking, Venegas said.
