Red light cameras went live today (Wednesday) at two of the most hazardous intersections in Falls Church.
A 30-day warning period has begun for violators at the intersections of E. Broad Street with Washington Street and Roosevelt Street. Drivers who run a red light at these crossings will receive a $50 civil fine starting Nov. 20.
The intersection of Broad and Washington accounted for almost 1 in 3 collisions in Falls Church last year: 42 of 134. Another 18 vehicular crashes took place at Broad and Roosevelt.
“Running a red light is one of the most dangerous choices a driver can make because occupants have little protection in side impact (T-bone) crashes,” Police Chief Shahram Fard said in a press release. “Red-light cameras give us a consistent, around-the-clock way to discourage it.”
The cameras have been relocated from their previous spots at the intersections of W. Broad Street with Cherry Street and Annandale Road, where they were first installed in 2011.
“Drivers at those intersections have become accustomed to stopping on red, and violations have steadily declined,” the press release says. “As regional growth and the I-66 corridor bring more traffic through the City, relocating the red-light cameras allows the police department to use this enforcement tool at intersections where increased through-traffic has created greater risk.”
Red light cameras capture photos and videos of vehicles that enter an intersection after the light has turned red.
Arlington currently has 19 of these cameras, according to the Virginia Open Data Portal. They’re far more prevalent in D.C., which has over 500 of them and charges $150 for running a red light, three times the rate allowable under Virginia law.
