The cameras work by taking pictures of cars that run red lights, allowing police to send tickets to the registered owners of these cars. Intersections that fall within the program have been chosen based on the number of violations, and only after the town was able to prove that ticketing motorists for violations has been unable to prevent traffic accidents. The municipalities that are part of the program are required to monitor the effectiveness of the system, and report data annually to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Red light violations are a major problem contributing to car accidents, and it is proved by Department of Transportation statistics. At one Mercer County intersection, there were 159 red light violation-related accidents between 2005 and 2007, while another intersection in East Brunswick saw a total of 161 accidents traced to red light violations. In Jersey City, the number of collisions at one particularly troublesome intersection crossed 1500 during the same period. 

While some of these concerns may be valid, they are minor when compared to the potential benefits of these red light cameras. As far as the system eating into municipality funds goes, much of the cost will be borne through tickets issued to violators. In New York City, which has the oldest red light camera program in the country, there has been a 75% decline in the number of accidents at these intersections. In my Monmouth county, Bergen county, Passaic county , Middlesex County personal injury law firm practice I often represent victims who met with an accident just moments after another motorist ran a red light. There have to be measures implemented to prevent these violations, and the red light camera system, while it may have its imperfections, is definitely a step in the right direction. When violators break traffic rules, they risk the lives of other motorists, and that should be unacceptable to New Jersey car accident lawyers.