Due to sophisticated technology incorporated in traffic light cameras, these devices do not miss capturing pictures of drivers who run a red light.
In the world, a majority of car accidents take place due to fast vehicles not stopping on red light signals. Every year, around 800 lives are lost in such accidents on intersections. And to reduce the number of car crashes on crossroads and intersections, the government has taken some serious steps with the help of technology.
Today, in some cities, you will see traffic light cameras installed. These devices surely play a crucial role in maintaining traffic discipline and finding out the defaulters of traffic rules and regulations.
What are Traffic Light Cameras?
Traffic light cameras are computerized devices that are installed at the corners of some intersections on a high pole. These devices do the job of clicking pictures of drivers who run red lights.
And this probably is the best step for keeping traffic lawbreakers under control and maintaining road safety.
These cameras are programmed to operate day and night, and activate only when the signal turns red. If you cross the intersection with the red signal being on, these hi-tech cameras will click pictures of your car number and sometimes even the driver as evidence of traffic violation.
The pictures and tickets are then mailed to you after sometime. In a busy area, there can be four of these cameras set up on an intersection for monitoring automobiles from all sides and angles.
In a few of these models, film cameras are incorporated; whereas others, especially the advanced ones, digital cameras are used. In addition, some cameras may have speed monitoring technology installed too. As a result, they may serve as traffic light cameras as well as speed cameras.
General Working of Traffic Light Cameras
There are some components which constitute the whole traffic light camera system. These include the pressure strips, laser, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, and sometimes even the Doppler radar.
The pressure strips are set under the road, just beneath the asphalt. These strips are triggered if the driver tries to enter the intersection with a speed more than what is allowed. The setups of these cameras may also include laser systems which determine and record the speed of the car.
Infrared can be used for getting clear pictures of the cars in low light conditions. In traffic light cameras, flash lights are generally activated when there is any violation of intersection traffic rules at night.
Along with lasers, Doppler radars can be installed on the high poles to monitor the speed of the vehicle. The speed is calculated by emitting continuous radio signals on the road to detect any vehicle driving at high speed.
The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is considered to be one of the most advanced systems set up in traffic light cameras. This system does the task of reading and recording the details of the license plate using character recognition technology.
If you are wondering about traffic light cameras location; you will find these advanced devices set up at intersections in cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington DC, Houston, and many more major cities.
Think twice before you decide to run a red light, because these cameras will certainly record the details, after which you may receive a ticket in the mailbox later.