(NBC NEWSCHANNEL) A new study shows the much lamented red light cameras actually save lives.
According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, fatal crashes from red light runners go up by almost one third when red light cameras are turned off.
Many cities have added cameras at intersections with traffic signals, but more than 150 communities ended red-light cameras in the past five years.
Researchers with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - which is funded by auto insurers - compared fatal crashes in 14 cities that had ended the camera program with 29 cities that continued the program.
After adjusting for other factors, they found red-light-running crashes went up 30 percent in the cities that no longer had camera-programs.
Fewer red light cameras, more deaths. https://t.co/8igyjjRHMV
— IIHS (@IIHS_autosafety) July 28, 2016