The chair of Fredericton’s Public Safety and Environment Committee is hoping to parlay the results of a recent traffic study into amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act of New Brunswick.
Coun. Stephen Chase wants to see the use of intersection safety devices, such as traffic light cameras, legislated for use throughout the province.
“We set the cameras up and ran them over a period of two days,” Chase explained about the study conducted in the fall of 2015. “It revealed an amazing number of individuals speeding through the green or yellow, as well as a pretty high number of red light violations.”
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The study of two busy intersections showed 32 drivers running red lights, while each saw over 2,000 instances of speeding.
Chase believes the data is enough to get the attention of provincial officials and force a change to existing legislation.
“I would like to see the government of New Brunswick amend the Motor Vehicle Act to enable the use of video or photo technology,” Chase said. “It’s all in the interest of improving safety, reducing the number of accidents, all the costs and misery and death that go along with accidents at intersections.”
The use of traffic cameras is legislated across the country with all provinces west of New Brunswick employing them.
Chase said the now-finalized report is gathering support not just in Fredericton, but across the province as well.
“We’ve taken the step of informing other municipalities of this study and I think we’re going to see some additional voices brought to the table to convince the government.”
Alan Porter of Massachusetts was in town Friday and said the use of traffic cameras where he lives is starting to become commonplace and so too is driver awareness.
“Definitely once you see them up I think you pay a little more attention,” he said.
Porter said traffic cameras have pros and cons, but those who aren’t breaking the law need not worry about the latter.
“You’re going to create people who are being aware,” he explained. “Even if they slow down for the wrong reason they’re still slowing down and not running that red light, so it’s a good thing.”
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