Red-light camera on Route 1 in Woodbridge catches more than 1,000 drivers in 3 weeks

by Sergio Bichao on Jul 27th | Email

1-2-3 Red light! Woodbridge police will use a camera to issue tickets for drivers who run red lights at the Route 1 and Avenel Street intersection.

WOODBRIDGE, NJ – Run a red light after Aug. 3 on Route 1 at Avenel Street and expect a $140 ticket in your mailbox.

The intersection is the only township location approved by the state for red-light camera monitoring. Edison, Linden, New Brunswick, Piscataway and Roselle Park are among 20 municipalities since 2008 to have also received the green light to install the devices.

Woodbridge’s cameras have already snared 1,030 possible violators during the warning grace period that began July 5 and ends next week, officials said. Violators caught by the cameras do not get points added to their licenses.

Township spokesman John Hagerty said the intersection is among the most accident prone corners in the township. From June 2005 to June of this year, the police department counted 139 accidents here, including 21 mishaps with pedestrians and four fatalities.

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“We did not go looking at this intersection for a red light traffic camera from a revenue perspective,” Hagerty said. “We’re looking to make that intersection safer. It’s been a concern of the Township Council for many years.”

The 2008 state law that authorized cameras requires that all images of potential violations be reviewed by a trained police officer.

“No warning or violation will be issued unless it is clearly a red light and the vehicle is clearly through the intersection,” Hagerty said.

Critics of red light cameras, such as the National Motorists Association, say the cameras can cause accidents when worried drivers slam their breaks too soon. A 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration found that red light cameras reduced right-angle collisions but increased rear-end crashes.

Other research is favorable. A 2004 study by the University College London, for example, showed a drop in fatalities at monitored intersections in Great Britain.

The cameras in Woodbridge were installed by Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions at no initial cost. The company will collect $4,750 a month, Hagerty said.