Red Light Cameras Running 24-7

By Corey Fischer

Aug 7, 2018 | 10:05 AM

Photo: Highway 97 at 43rd Avenue in Vernon where red light camera is operating 24 hours a day, one of 140 such sites in BC (Photo courtesy of Google)

Vernon has one of the 140 sites in 26 BC communities where red-light cameras are now operating 24-7 — up from six hours a day.

The site is Highway 97 and 43rd Avenue by the Vernon Square Mall.

ICBC says there’s an average of 26 crashes a year there, resulting in an average of 11 injuries annually.

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Kelowna has five of the red light cameras including at Dilworth Drive and Springfield Road, where there is an average 67 crashes and 32 injuries a year.

The others are all on Highway 97, at Harvey and Gordon, Harvey at Spall, Harvey and Cooper, and Highway 97 and Banks Road.

Violators will be sent a picture of their vehicle going through a red light, with a resulting $167 fine and 2 penalty points.

The government says the program is aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries from intersection crashes.

“For too long, cameras with a proven record of curbing red-light runners and the serious crashes they cause were not operating at full capacity,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Last year, we saw a record 350,000 crashes in B.C., with about 60% of them happening at intersections. The full activation of these cameras is overdue and an important step for safety on some of our busiest roadways.”

Intersection crashes are often the most serious, because they may involve head-on and side-impact collisions.

by Corey Fischer