Report on the Effects of Houston-area Red Light Monitoring Cameras

This report tracks the impact of red light monitoring cameras on the frequency of traffic accidents in Houston over seven years to simulate the effects of camera installation and to estimate their impact. Data suggests that intersections with one camera benefit from reduced collisions only on the approach with the camera, whereas intersections with two or more cameras see reduced collisions from all approaches.

By Matthew Loftis, graduate student, Department of Political Science, Rice University; Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz, graduate student, Department of Political Science, Rice University; and Robert M. Stein, Ph.D., fellow in urban politics, Rice University's Baker Institute, and Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science, Rice University