Portland Car Accident Lawyers Applaud Red-Light Cameras

An experienced Portland, Oregon car accident lawyer will tell you that Portland is no stranger to car accidents. Many note that car crashes are disturbingly high in and around certain city intersections. What’s more, these accidents are among the most lethal.

Tragic Car Accidents in Portland, Oregon

Auto accident data from 1999 and 2000 showed that the most dangerous intersections in Portland were at SE 82nd Avenue & SE Powell Boulevard, SE 82nd Avenue & SE Johnson Creek Boulevard, SE 122nd Avenue & SE Division Street, NE 122nd Avenue & NE Glisan Street, and NE 39th Avenue & NE Sandy Boulevard. The study evaluated intersections using an insurance company’s “danger index,” which includes the number of crashes at each intersection, adjusted for the crash severity. In 2005, some of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians were on West Burnside in the central core; two other problem intersections were on SE 82nd Avenue. Car accident statistics for 2007 revealed that 35 car accidents resulted in 36 fatalities in Portland. These numbers fell to 18 car accidents, resulting in 19 fatalities in 2008.

Red-Light Cameras Stem Car Accidents in Portland

Knowledgeable Portland car accident lawyers know that red-light runners often cause right-angle or T-bone collisions, which Portland Police say are 2.5 times more likely to result in serious injuries and fatalities than rear-end crashes. To help bring down the number and severity of car crashes, Portland installed red-light cameras at the following intersections between 2001 and 2003: East Burnside at Grand Avenue, northbound approach; NE Sandy Blvd at 39th Avenue, westbound approach; NE Sandy Blvd at 39th Avenue, northbound approach; SE Grand Avenue at Madison Street, northbound approach; West Burnside at 19th Avenue, eastbound approach.

More Red-Light Cameras Go Up

Portland car crash lawyers noted that in 2007, the city added six additional red-light cameras at selected intersections, with five on the city’s east side. Each intersection had a high incidence of crashes caused by red-light scofflaws. Cameras are now present at SW 4th at Jefferson, which had experienced 29 red-light crashes; SE Stark at 99th, with 19 red-light crashes; SE Stark at 102nd, 44 red-light crashes; SE Foster at 96th, 53 red-light crashes; NE Broadway at Vancouver, 28 red-light crashes; and SE Washington at 103rd, 35 red-light crashes.

Red-Light Runners and Car Accidents Drop

In addition to reducing red-light scofflaws, car crashes have dropped. During the three-year period before the cameras went up, there were 252 crashes at five of the most dangerous intersections–78 involved drivers going against the red light. In the three years after installation, there were 199 crashes–54 due to red-light violators. Total injury crashes for all approaches at the intersections were reduced by 30% in the three-year time period. Portland car collision lawyers applaud these efforts to reduce car accidents and injuries in the city.

By: J. Bisnar

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