The fast and unmonitored
Baton Rouge argues over red light cameras. Evidence from Ontario shows that cameras reduce lawbreaking.
The removal of speed safety cameras in Ontario led to a sharp rise in speeding, putting lives at risk and potentially driving up insurance costs as crashes increase.
Why it matters: Baton Rouge residents have long argued over the effectiveness of police cameras in curbing red-light running. Ontario's experience offers an answer: when the cameras come down, more drivers break the law.
The details:
- Baton Rouge has red-light cameras at several intersections, including near the I-10 exits at College Drive.
- The parish collects between $3 million and $4 million annually from the program—more than $50 million since the cameras were installed in 2007.
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered a ban on speed cameras, providing a before-and-after look at their effect on driver behavior.
By the numbers: In Ottawa, 14% of vehicles were speeding on a main road last fall while cameras were operating. After their removal, a whopping 80% were speeding in May, according to city data from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
Zoom out: Research indicates that speed cameras reduce crashes and change driver behavior.
- A 2025 academic paper found that cameras near New York City schools reduced crashes by 14%.
- Tickets at those locations fell 75% over time, suggesting drivers who received citations changed their behavior.
The flip side: Opponents of Baton Rouge's red-light cameras argue that the government should not be watching motorists. They view the cameras as a form of Big Brother surveillance.
The bottom line: Evidence from Ontario and elsewhere shows that traffic cameras prompt more drivers to obey the law and can reduce crashes. For some opponents, however, the possibility of more dangerous roads is an acceptable cost of limiting government surveillance.
