Poll suggests 77 per cent of Fredericton residents support installation of red light cameras

A new poll shows overwhelming support from Fredericton residents for the installation of red light cameras in the the New Brunswick city.

The poll, conducted by Corporate Research Associates Inc. (CRA) and released on Wednesday, indicates that 77 per cent of the nearly 400 residents polled said they completely or mostly support installing red light cameras.

Stephen Chase, councillor for Bishop Drive/Odell Park, and a proponent for the use of red light cameras was overjoyed to hear the results of the survey.

“I’m really pleased that the public supports the use of technology to reduce speeding and reduce accidents,” he told Global News in a phone interview on Wednesday.

“I think it sends an important message that people want the motor vehicle act updated to allow technology to help make our streets safer.”

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Councillor response

According to the survey only 20 per cent of respondents are opposed to the installation of red light cameras.

“There is overwhelming support among residents in the Fredericton area for the use of red light cameras to prevent speeding and running red lights,” said Don Mills, chairman and CEO of Corporate Research Associates Inc. “It is an unusually high level of support and certainly provides city council the license to undertake such a measure with the confidence of public support.”

The cameras are intended to prevent speeding and the running of red lights in the city by recording license plates and sending tickets to the owners of offending vehicles.

But the province’s Motor Vehicle Act currently doesn’t allow for their use and would have to be amended.

WATCH: Fredericton councillor hoping to curb speeding problem

2:02 Fredericton councillor hoping to curb speeding problem

Chase, who has been working with other municipalities and cities to pass resolutions calling on the province to amend the act, says red light cameras just make sense.

“Policing resources are very expensive and it’s impossible to have police personnel on every corner, so using technology, what are essentially passive police officers, will help people get the message that running red lights or speeding through intersections are very dangerous,” he said.

The telephone survey was conducted between July 21 an Aug. 6 on 400 Fredericton residents. Results of the poll are accurate to within ±4.9 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.

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