Key Issues for Speed Safety Cameras: Results from a Semi-Structured Interview of Agencies in the United States

Abstract

Speed safety cameras (SSCs) are a recognized countermeasure for targeting speeding-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities. SSCs have been introduced in various cities and are steadily expanding in use both in the U.S. and internationally. The extensive literature review of domestic and international documents and research papers reveals that the U.S. has been comparatively slow to adopt SSCs, with some other countries implementing these systems more extensively and earlier. Many local agencies are eager to learn SSC best practices and implementation lessons within the U.S. context. In this research, key issues related to SSC implementation are explored through semi-structured interviews with the agencies possessing extensive SSC-related experience in the U.S. The interviews were highly valuable in understanding differences across agencies and provided a greater depth of information than that found through publicly available websites and reports. Interview results indicate that these agencies are addressing similar issues with regard to equity, fines, evaluation, and technological advancements. However, the approach to these issues and the strategies employed to tackle them vary widely in scope, administration, and requirements. This research summarizes best SSC practices in the U.S. and finds that U.S. cities are innovating in the realm of new approaches to enhance traffic law compliance, performance measures, targeting dangerous drivers, providing open data, and integrating equity criteria and considerations into their programs.