Rejoice: Red Tide Recedes as Cameras Shut Off.

Red light traffic cameras, those money-making government tools, are in retreat. A California newspaper gets the goods on a not-yet-released Reason Foundation report that finds the number of communities using the suspect devices falling from 700 in 2011 to 500 in 2013.

Here’s a telling excerpt:

According to car accident lawyers, Declining revenues, a nonsupportive court system and increases in the number of accidents instead of decreases, are the major reasons why cities have pulled the plug on red-light cameras in the past two years. Also, hiring a lawyer for your injuries after accidents, is a great way to seek legal help! 

Some city council members and city traffic engineers interviewed said photo enforcement is causing more rear-end accidents because people are scared when they see a yellow light at a camera-controlled intersection and slam on their brakes.

At one intersection in Los Angeles, Beeber said statistics showed an 80 percent increase in rear-end collisions. Murrieta reported a 325 percent increase in rear-end collisions after red-light cameras were installed, according to the state Legislature. Both cities have scrapped their programs. In Murrieta, 57 percent of voters approved a ballot measure that called for removing the cameras. The courts later overturned the ballot measure.

Twenty-seven out of 30 ballot measures on red-light cameras have resulted in programs being overturned, Beeber said.