How Automatic Emergency Braking Affects Red Light Camera Safety
Can AEB technology help offset the rise in rear-end crashes linked to red-light cameras?
For years, red light safety cameras have sparked debate. They’re praised for reducing dangerous intersection crashes, but criticized for causing more rear-end collisions when drivers slam on the brakes to avoid a ticket. A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that modern technology, such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), is helping balance the scales.
IIHS researchers found that as more vehicles come equipped with AEB, the number of rear-end crashes tied to red light cameras is shrinking. It’s a promising sign that two key safety systems (one on the roads and one in our cars) are beginning to work together to make intersections safer for everyone.
Do we really need red light safety cameras?
Red light safety cameras were designed to deter one of the most dangerous driving behaviors: running red lights. When drivers rush through intersections instead of stopping, they can cause high-speed side-impact crashes that are often deadly. In 2023 alone, more than 1,000 people were killed and 135,000 were injured in crashes involving a driver who ran a red light.
Making yellow lights last longer can help reduce violations, but cameras have proven even more effective. In one Philadelphia study, extending the yellow light time cut red light running by 36 percent. Adding a camera nearly doubled that impact and improved compliance by another 96 percent.
Despite those results, only about 343 communities nationwide currently operate red-light safety cameras. This marks a drop of more than a third since 2012. Community resistance remains strong, with opponents often citing research showing that cameras can increase rear-end crashes.
Do traffic cameras cause more rear-end collisions?
Cameras can indeed prompt some drivers to stop abruptly at intersections, which leads to a rise in rear-end crashes. But safety experts say those collisions are typically minor compared to the devastating side-impact crashes that cameras prevent. Rear-end crashes may result in whiplash or vehicle damage, but right-angle collisions can cause serious or fatal injuries.
As IIHS President David Harkey explains, “Red light running causes extremely dangerous, high-speed side crashes, so red light safety cameras are an essential intervention.” The new data shows that AEB helps ease that one remaining downside.
How does automatic emergency braking make intersections safer?
Automatic emergency braking uses sensors to detect when a crash is imminent and automatically applies the brakes to prevent or lessen the impact. It’s already proven effective at reducing rear-end crashes, so IIHS researchers wanted to see how it interacts with intersections with red light cameras.
To find out, the IIHS conducted a meta-analysis of 35 studies on red-light safety cameras and examined police-reported crash data from 19 states. They compared intersections with AEB-equipped striking vehicles to those without, then projected how future AEB adoption might influence overall crash rates.
The results were clear. If no vehicles had AEB, intersections with red light cameras saw a 7% drop in overall crashes but a 21% increase in rear-end crashes. With current AEB adoption levels (about 28 percent of vehicles), the overall crash reduction improves to 8 percent, and rear-end collisions rise only 19 percent.
Once AEB becomes standard across nearly all vehicles (a milestone expected by 2045), total crashes could drop nearly 10 percent, and rear-end increases could shrink to 14 percent.
Why does this research matter?
The numbers tell only part of the story. The biggest benefit of red light safety cameras is their ability to prevent high-impact, injury-causing crashes at intersections. Those serious wrecks have fallen by roughly 20 percent, even as minor rear-end bumps occur more often. As AEB becomes more widespread, those minor crashes will likely decline as well, which should make the net safety gains even greater.
“This is a great example of a vehicle technology and an infrastructure solution working in tandem to produce better results,” said Wen Hu, the study’s lead author and a senior transportation research engineer at IIHS.
As automakers continue to roll out more advanced driver assistance features, the relationship between car technology and roadway design will only grow stronger. Red light safety cameras have already proven their value. With automatic emergency braking helping to smooth out their rough edges, intersections across the country could become far safer places to drive.
Hurt in a crash? Contact a Maryland car accident lawyer today!
If you were injured in a rear-end collision or any car accident in the D.C. Metro area, now is the time to take action. The Law Offices of Stuart L. Plotnick, LLC has spent nearly three decades fighting for injured drivers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
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