August 11, 2011
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
Texas auto insurance premiums may be going up for several thousand commmuters in the Lone Star State, as 3,400 traffic citations have been issued to drivers for running red lights in the past two weeks.
Officials are attributing the increased number of tickets handed out to red-light traffic cameras being turned back on after they were deactivated in November, when voters decided the program should be ended. A federal judge overturned that decision, however, and the cameras were reactivated on July 24.
In a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle, Charles Territo, spokesman for the maker of the cameras, American Traffic Solutions, said the devices help local authorities enforce the law.
"Red-light cameras are hard at work helping the Houston Police Department enhance road safety by enforcing red-light running violations camera locations throughout the city," said Territo.
Earlier this month, a Texas Transportation Institute study revealed that red-light cameras led to 25 percent fewer accidents, helping motorists avoid filing auto insurance claims.
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