Suffolk lawmaker looking to suspend red-light camera program

<p>Legislator Kevin McCaffrey is calling for the county to suspend Suffolk's red-light camera program.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 4, 2017, 11:58 AM

Updated 2,621 days ago

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Legislator Kevin McCaffrey is calling for the county to suspend Suffolk's red-light camera program.
He says he wants the program paused until the Department of Public Works finishes a safety study.
As News 12 Long Island reported earlier this week, the latest red-light camera data shows rear-end accidents at intersections with cameras have increased 30 percent in Suffolk.
News 12 spoke to McCaffrey at Route 109 and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon.
"At this particular location, it has been almost a 400 percent increase in the amount of accidents involving injuries," he said, adding that lives are being put at risk for a money grab.
The data also shows, however, that overall there were 5 percent fewer accidents with injuries at intersections with red-light cameras.
"It would be the height of irresponsibility to put the brakes on an effective public safety program that has resulted in a 6 percent drop in crashes at red-light intersections," County Executive Steve Bellone says.
Previous bills to suspend Suffolk's red-light camera program have not made it out of committee. McCaffrey's bill will be considered in September.