New Jersey’s controversial red light camera pilot program will not be expanding.

Red Light Cameras
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The State Department of Transportation announced Thursday that no new locations will be added to the list of authorized red light camera intersections because there would not be sufficient time to gather useful data under the pilot program that is scheduled to end as early as December 2014.

A total of 76 red light camera intersections are now operational across the Garden State.

DOT officials indicate in order for information gathered from cameras to be statistically significant, a minimum of two years of data is necessary, and since the study could end as early as 20 months from now, there is no point in adding new cameras.

Many municipalities have expressed an interest in participating in the program and have submitted applications concerning specific intersections, but those applications will now be denied.

The red light camera pilot program, which was authorized by the Legislature in 2008, began a year later. The idea of the program is to determine whether red light cameras promote safety by reducing the frequency and severity of crashes at intersections that have a history of motorists running red lights.

Critics claim red light cameras do not promote safety.   In fact they may actually make some intersections more dangerous because some motorists tend to slam on their breaks approaching the red light cameras, fearing the light will change from green to red and they’ll be given a ticket.

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