People in Bensalem, Pennsylvania really hate slowing down — but starting June 1, warnings will turn into $100 fines
- In early April, the municipality of Bensalem installed red light cameras at two accident-prone intersections.
- Within a month, the cameras issued 5,200 warnings to drivers who ran a red light.
- On June 1, the 60-day grace period ends and the warnings become a $100 fine.
When you see a green light turn yellow, it can be difficult to muster the self-control to slow down instead of speeding up and trying to reach the light. However, drivers in one Pennsylvania community showed shockingly poor control as newly installed red light cameras caught drivers running red lights 5,200 times in just one month.
Bensalem police reported alarming data this week after installing traffic monitoring devices at two intersections. The community is home to just over 62,000 people but is located just outside of Philadelphia.
Read: Car transporter runs the red light because of excessive speed and causes the Toyota Corolla to skid
The cameras were installed at the intersection of Street Road at Knight Road and Route 1 at Old Lincoln Highway. The police say they chose these lights because of the high frequency of accidents. 6ABC reports that there have been a total of 143 collisions at these intersections over the past 10 years, or more than one per month.
It’s worth remembering that while racing to a red light can feel like a victimless crime, America’s roads are particularly dangerous right now. Last year, more than 40,000 people died in traffic accidents, and pedestrians are particularly at risk, especially at intersections.
Luckily for drivers in a hurry in Bensalem, the cameras didn’t issue any tickets. Until May 31, traffic monitoring devices will only send warnings to drivers who continue through an intersection even though their front wheels are behind the white stop line when the light turns red.
Starting June 1, the 60-day grace period will end and drivers will face a $100 fine if they run a red light at these intersections. The money collected through these citations does not go to the Bensalem Police Department or the community; Instead, the operation of the cameras is financed directly.
