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Traffic cameras aren’t doing motorists any favours. In fact, a Canadian study has found they actually increase the fatal accident rate at intersections where they’re installed.

This should come as no surprise to subscribers to Car and Driver, whose editors were among the first in the industry to decry the use of red-light cameras as a “safety device” and expose them for what they really are: a gigantic cash cow for camera companies. Surprisingly, most police departments don’t make much — if any — money from them because the companies selling them are taking such a high percentage of the ticket revenue.

Furthermore, studies have shown that increasing the delay between crossing red and green lights (i.e., all directions are red for a short time) is a no-cost way to increase safety. Unfortunately, this method doesn’t result in money in the pockets of local police, and it certainly doesn’t buy a new Porsche for the CEO of a red-light camera vendor. As an average citizen, I must say the lack of a new Porsche in some jerk’s garage doesn’t bother me in the least.

Isn’t it about time we realised that this attempted tax-grab is endangering our citizenry and just gave up on the failed experiment?

(via Jalopnik)