Red light cameras may get Fredericton drivers to step on their brakes

The City of Fredericton is considering installing a red light camera system at its busiest intersections.

The intersection at Regent and Prospect streets is the most accident-prone in the city, according to Fredericton police, who say it a prime candidate for the proposed system.

The proposed software system will not only capture people running a red light but will also be able to assess the speed of vehicles approaching a stop line and predict if the driver is going to run the red.

"They have what's called a collision avoidance system and basically the system itself will recognize when a violation is about to take place," Insp. Gary Forward said.

"Simultaneously, it will send a signal to the traffic lights themselves, asking them to delay the red light for the opposing lane of traffic to turn green, giving about an extra second to clear the intersection."

The delay in the light change-over has proven to reduce the number of collisions by about 30 per cent in other cities, Forward said.

Fredericton's transportation committee received a report on Thursday on the new proposed system. If the system goes forward, Fredericton would be the first municipality in the province to adopt red light cameras.

The cameras would not operate continuously and would only record violators, said city traffic engineer Darren Charters.

"If you break the law, you will be recorded and ticketed," Charters said.

A U.S company would install the cameras at little expense to the city in return for a portion of the proceeds of fines levied onviolators.

Three cameras would be installed at the intersections to record the car, driver and licence plate. Violators would receive a letter in the mail notifying them that they've been caught committing a traffic offence. They will also receive a password so they can watch the video evidence online.

New legislation would be required

"We think there will be lots of violations," Forward said. "This is a system that won't be biased and you know won't distinguish between a certain type of vehicle or profession. Police cars will be subject to this type of enforcement."

The red light system will be presented to the province's police chiefs in February and it is hoped that it could be implemented in the city in about six months.

But the province would still have to enact new legislation so any recorded evidencecould be admitted in court, Forward said.

Public Safety Minister John Foran said he has not yet seen Fredericton's proposal and that the government would have to conduct its own review before considering putting forward legislation.

"We'd have to look at how that would fit into New Brunswick," Foran said. "We'd have to have to some discussion with all of our stakeholders, not just the City of Fredericton, which would be the other municipalities, the police forces, RCMP."