Providence starts red light camera photo system

The Providence Police Department announced Thursday it would begin activating a new red light camera photo enforcement system at three Providence intersections.

Safety experts consider red light cameras to be important law enforcement tools that allow police to maximize resources while deterring people from causing accidents by running red lights, the police said.

ACS Inc., a Dallas-based company with experience in red light photo enforcement systems, will manage the red light cameras. The initial phase of the program will begin at three Providence intersections before expanding citywide and include a 30-day warning period for motorists during which no traffic violations will be issued.

Following the 30-day warning period, the police will begin issuing citations. Under Rhode Island law, the citation is not considered a moving violation and no points can be assessed for the ticket (similar to parking violations).

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During the initial phase of the program, the photo enforcement cameras will be activated at the following intersections:

– Raymond and Chalkstone
– Oakland and Chalkstone
– Eaton and Huxley

The system will operate as follows:

– When a vehicle illegally runs a red light, the car passes over sensors triggering the first photo of the vehicle entering the intersection. The camera is only active when the light is red (not yellow or green).

– A second photo is taken, showing the vehicle proceeding through the intersection, with the red light in view. The third photo is a duplication of the first photo, only enlarged to show the license plate number.

– All images are processed at the ACS processing center and forwarded to the Providence Police Department where an officer will review each photo to determine if a violation occurred.

– The $75 citation is then mailed to the violator.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2002 there were 178,000 injuries and 920 deaths related to people running red lights. ACS says approximately 50 communities in the United States currently use red light cameras. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that red light camera enforcement, in conjunction with public awareness, can modify behavior and has been shown to reduce red light violations and intersection crashes.

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