5/29/2015
By Paul and Sue Oberhauser
Two bills that seek to ban and/or eliminate photo-enforcement camera programs across the state have been passed by the Colorado General Assembly and are now sitting at Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office. We write to express our support for these live-saving tools and urge the governor to veto these bills, as the safety cameras allow Colorado police departments to enforce and hold accountable drivers who run red lights.
We have seen the first-hand effects of the dangers of red light running. In 2002, our daughter, Sarah, was killed in a car crash. She died because a man disregarded a red light, drove 55 mph through an intersection, and crashed into her car. He was late for a meeting and our grandchildren lost their mother because of a driver who felt he could ignore a red light. Running red lights is not a question of the dollars and cents of fines, but lives of loved ones that could be saved.
Not only do we need to hold those who break the law accountable for their actions, but we also need to change their behavior on the road. The photo-enforcement camera program achieves both these objectives and has been proven to be successful in Colorado. The most recent statistics from police departments show traffic safety cameras have reduced crashes at the state’s most dangerous intersections, including:
• Boulder: A 67.5 percent reduction in the number of collisions at eight photo-enforced intersections. .
• Greenwood Village: A 54 percent reduction in the number of collisions at the intersection of Belleview Avenue and Quebec Street.
• Denver: A 27 percent reduction in the number of collisions at four photo-enforced intersections.
• Aurora: A 26 percent reduction in the number of collisions and 33 percent reduction in injuries at photo enforced intersections from 2010-2013.
The use of these cameras sends a clear message: There is no excuse for disregarding traffic safety laws. If you do, you will be held accountable for putting yourself and others at risk. If a law-enforcement tool is proven to prevent tragedies such as Sarah’s, why wouldn’t we use it? Although nothing will bring Sarah back, we encourage the use of any tool or technology that will keep families safe and prevent another senseless tragedy.
Paul and Sue Oberhauser are co-chairs of the Traffic Safety Coalition.
Traffic Safety Coalition 