FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno city leaders want to bring back red-light cameras in an effort to crack down on reckless driving and reduce deadly crashes on city streets.
City leaders say too many crashes, serious injuries and deaths are happening on Fresno roads and they believe stronger enforcement could help save lives.
On Monday, FOX26 cameras captured multiple drivers running red lights at two different Fresno intersections within minutes.
Councilmember Annalisa Perea says those violations are a clear example of why the city is considering bringing red-light cameras back.
“Speeding might save you a couple minutes, but it could cost you a life,” Perea said.
Perea says the data behind Fresno’s traffic safety concerns is alarming.
Fresno leaders consider bringing back red-light cameras to reduce deadly crashes
“Last year alone we had more traffic-related fatalities than we did shooting-related fatalities,” she said.
According to Fresno’s Vision Zero draft plan, from 2019 to 2023, the city recorded 217 deadly crashes and more than 600 severe injury crashes.
The report also ranks Fresno seventh in the nation among major metro areas for pedestrian deaths.
Perea says those numbers highlight a major problem and why city leaders are looking at every possible option to reduce fatalities.
“We are in the process of approving what’s called the Vision Zero plan which is a plan to hopefully get down to zero traffic related deaths,” Perea said.
The proposed plan aims to change driver behavior by installing cameras at dangerous intersections that would capture drivers running red lights and send citations directly to their homes.
Perea says stronger enforcement could make drivers think twice before speeding through intersections.
“We’re going to take lessons learned from the last time we had red light cameras in the city of Fresno and we’re going to hopefully develop a program that is successful in changing driver behavior,” she said.
The exact details including where the cameras would be placed and how much fines would cost are still being worked out.
The Fresno City Council is expected to vote on the proposal next Thursday.
If approved, Perea says the project could begin sometime this summer.