Safer Signals May Not Mean End To Red Light Camera Tickets

According to MoDOT records, one of the biggest signal timing changes, was at Lindbergh and Taylor in Hazelwood.

Khirey Shank says he sees a lot of red light runners there. There's also a red light camera to catch you.

Red light running took a drastic drop at 141 and Astra Way in Arnold. It happened after MoDOT added more than one and a half seconds to the yellow light. With more time for drivers to get through, red light runners dropped from more than 700 in May of 2010 to just 17 this past May. The newest records reveal it went down again last month to only 14 red light runners.

Fox 2 requested engineering data for every red light camera intersection in the St. Louis area and found not many other examples of longer yellows and even fewer that are more than fractions of a second. There's a yellow light that's almost a full second longer in Creve Coeur near 270 & Ladue. That could lead to a drop in red light runners caught by the camera -- and we'll be asking Creve Coeur for those numbers.

But back up in Hazelwood, the safety change, was adding an all red phase. When the Lindbergh light turns red, Taylor remains red for 2.3 seconds. Before the change, it was an instantaneous red to green.

Khirey Shank said it's surprised many drivers. He explained, "I've seen cars just go ahead and go because they think they're supposed to go. [Reporter Chris Hayes asked] Because the other side turns... [Shank continued] ..because the other side turns red too."

MoDOT acknowledges safer intersections might mean slower traffic and Shank has already picked up on what some drivers think. He said, "It causes frustration."

Luke Howard said, "Hey, if it works, why not." Howard believes it's worth it to lengthen some yellows and stop traffic entirely in some cases, even though some drivers may push those lights more. He said, "You can't do nothing about that. They're always going to do that. They're always going to take advantage or go overboard."

Based on the data, it doesn't look like red light cameras are going to take the same hit they did in Arnold. Engineers only made changes to 16 yellow lights in the St. Louis area, but they added all red phases to hundreds of those intersections.