The IIHS felt the need for a little fiction recently.

They again claim that RLC "improve" safety.  See IIHS press release here:  http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr020111.html

But as in past cases, it is what they left out that show this report to be nothing more than a propoganda piece.  (I would trust a crooked NYC card game first!)  This is what I could gather from their "press release".

(In the coming days and weeks, more of how the IIHS has most likely cherry pick data will come out).

Some highlights for fun:

1.  As mention before they cherry picked the year.  1992 to 1996 and 2004 thur 2008 (the biggest drop in fatalities overall due to the recession and $4.00 a gallon gasoline.  OMISSION 1 by the IIHS!

2.  14 RLC towns went down "35%".  Omission: how many of the intersections had RLC.  This is important because in Oxnard the IIHS used Non Camera intersections to boost their safety claim.  http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/finalreport.pdf  Quote on Oxnard:  "Nor did it even study accidents at intersections that have red light cameras" Page 19

3.  48 cities without RLC saw reductions.  But what isn't mention was how many camera towns and non camera towns are being studied.  They said 99 but no breakdown.  They did say two camera towns had "increases", but why no mention of Chicago for example.  HMM, they have over 200,000 people!

4.  No defination of what counts as a accident.  This is important because of 2010 discoverys of towns UNDEREPORTING wrecks.  Chicago http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/red-light-cameras-chicago-crashes-accidents-20100607 , Winnipeg http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/columnists/tom_brodbeck/2010/09/22/15445456.html. 

Houston 2008 was found to be misleading!  http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/26/2675.asp  No one even knows what 2010 Houston says since the city REFUSES to even release the data!  http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3310.asp  HOUSTON DID THIS on the eve of a public vote BANNING RLC despite UNIVERSITY POLL claiming public "support".

EVEN LA was found to have more wrecks when CBS news went into it http://www.banthecams.org/attachments/755_Goldstein%20LAPD%20Scamera%20Article%2011.9.2009.pdf  (The LA auditor later called the LAPD safety claims "MISLEADING"!)

5.  Claims that taking a picture of a RLR is somehow "safer" than having a officer pull that driver over.  YA right IIHS, tell that to a family who loses a love one to a drunk or someone hit by a stolen car.  I am sure they will agree with you, NOT!

In fact www.stpetecameras.org pointed out that in the 2003 Canada study http://www.stpetecameras.org/home/rlc-studies/toronto-on-can-2003-rlc-study: 

a.  "The results show that crashes as a whole at RLC-equipped intersections have increased by 16% over the study period. "

b.  "The majority of red light treatment intersections use only increased police presence with no RLCs involved."

6.  Claim that Oxnard was a "success" despite the fact that the town was listed as the most DANGEROUS place to drive in 2005 in CA! http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/19/1943.asp 

Quote:  "Oxnard experienced 1,867 fatal and injury collisions in 2005 making it mile-for-mile driven the second most dangerous among fifty medium-sized California cities (populations between 100,000 and 250,000). In this group, Oxnard ranks number one in overall accidents."  Some "success" IIHS!

Nevermind that Oxnard has been discredited as faulty. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/25/2593.asp

Quote:  "Of most concern, the study's reported statistical results cannot be replicated." 
                      
7.  Chandler, AZ.  TWO SEROIUS problems with using this town as a "success" story.

a.  First off it is part of the Metro Phoenix area that had biggest hit in unemployement in 2007 and 2008.  Less people employed less driving, less driving less wrecks IIHS! 

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/32/3268.asp

Quote:  "The study then examined unemployment rates in each major metropolitan area. Those with the largest increase in unemployment rate from 2007 to 2008 had the highest reduction

in fatalities. Those with the least change in jobless figures saw the least change in fatalities. In Phoenix, Arizona for example, officials routinely credited the significant

accident reduction taking place in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan area to the statewide deployment of speed cameras that began in October 2008, and before that photo radar

use on Scottsdale's Loop 101 freeway and city streets throughout the region. During 2008, accidents dropped an impressive 31.5 percent. According to BLS data, however, the

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area experienced the third-largest drop in employment in the country -- 86,800 jobs. Other areas, such as Greenbay, Wisconsin and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

saw greater accident reductions, 52.6 percent and 47.7 percent respectively, even though photo enforcement is banned in both states."

b.  "Engineering improvements designed to allow traffic in Chandler, Arizona to flow more smoothly have also yielded a significant reduction in the number of accidents. According to city data, the five street widening projects completed to date have resulted in a 27 percent decline in the total accidents and a 39 percent decline in injury accidents through 2007.

After a series of planned upgrades are completed, the city will have fixed half of the intersections that currently have red light cameras." 

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2404.asp  FUNNY THE IIHS LEFT THAT LITTLE PART OUT! 

This report seems more propaganda than truth.  But what do you expect from the group that brougth you Oxnard, the "truth". 

It will be fun to watch what others find the IIHS failing to mention or fabricated by design.

But about all this report is good for is to line a bird cage with.

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