The North Shore’s three red light cameras are going from part time to overtime.
The busy intersections of Capilano Road and Marine Drive, Taylor Way and Marine, and Main Street at Mountain Highway all have cameras designed to capture images of and automatically ticket anyone who blows through a red. But the cameras have never been switched on for more than six hours a day.
According to Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, as of the end of July all of the 140 “high crash” intersections armed with cameras in B.C. are now operating 24/7.
According to ICBC, there were 683 crashes at the Taylor Way and Marine intersection between 2011 and 2015. At Capilano Road and Marine, it was 485 crashes over that same time. Main and Mountain was the scene of 217 collisions.
“For too long, cameras with a proven record of curbing red-light runners and the serious crashes they cause were not operating at full capacity," Farnworth said in a release. "Last year, we saw a record 350,000 crashes in B.C., with about 60 per cent of them happening at intersections. The full activation of these cameras is overdue and an important step for safety on some of our busiest roadways."
Running a red will cost you $127 and two demerit points. If someone other than the car’s registered owner is caught, the points will not be applied to the owners’ record but they will still be responsible for the fine. The tickets are only issued to drivers who cross into the intersection after a light has turned red, not those who attempt to “beat the yellow” and get caught as the light cycles from amber to red.
