Traffic Safety Coalition Applauds Chicago City Council for Approving School and Park Zone Speed Safety Ordinance

Online, April 19, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Traffic Safety Coalition (TSC) is applauding the members of the Chicago City Council for voting today to authorize the use of speed safety cameras to catch and cite drivers who speed in Chicago school and park zones. The cameras are life-saving tools which are shown to deter drivers from breaking the law and putting Chicago children at risk.

Earlier this week the TSC released a new video featuring Chicago school officials, medical professionals, law enforcement and elected officials talking about why they support cameras - in their own words. To view the video, click here.

Since 2003, the City of Chicago has used intersection safety cameras to reduce red light running and prevent crashes. The program has been enormously successful, reducing fatal red light running crashes by 32 percent (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

"Speeding kills 1,000 people every month in the United States and traffic safety cameras are a proven way of reducing this dangerous behavior. Chicago's speed safety cameras will slow drivers down and increase safety around schools and parks," said TSC National co-Chair Paul Oberhauser whose daughter, Sarah, was killed in by a speeding red-light runner.

Cities across the country are using speed cameras in school zones with enormous success. For example:

• Baltimore County, Maryland: Just five months after using school zone speed cameras, there was a 48% reduction in the average number of drivers speeding in schools zones.

• Seattle, Washington: The introduction of speed cameras resulted in a dramatic reduction in the average speed in school zones from 23-29 mph all the way down to 18 mph.

• Portland, Oregon: There was a 66% reduction in the number of speeders driving at least 10 mile per hour over the speed limit.