Traffic Cameras Can Help Keep Auto Insurance Rates Down

A recent federal court ruling has upheld photo monitoring programs that enforce red lights and other traffic laws, potentially making it easier to improve driver safety and hold down auto insurance rates.

The ruling was handed down by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri and confirmed that the state's use of red light traffic enforcement cameras was legal and constitutional.

"Red-light camera safety programs successfully modify driver behavior by increasing compliance with traffic laws. These programs have proven to improve safety on the roadways by reducing red-light running, which causes unnecessary crashes, injuries and deaths," said James Tuton of American Traffic Solutions, a company in the traffic enforcement industry.

The technology usually works by taking a photo of a car as it runs a red light or stop sign or breaks some other traffic law, and then a ticket is mailed to the driver's home. The programs have also generated criticism from those who see them as a threat to privacy.

Still, supporters of the traffic enforcement cameras maintain that they can reduce the number of accidents, holding down auto insurance prices in the process.

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