Almost 30,000 red-light-runners shot by new traffic cameras in first week

In the eight days that traffic cameras have been operating at 30 Bangkok intersections, a whopping 28,866 motorists have been snapped running red lights, the majority at Ban Ma, Ratchada-Rama IV and Urupong intersections.

Fines in the post

Besides the Bt500 fine, each motorist caught will be hit by a 40-point deduction to their driver's license, and repeat offending will result in license suspension.

Police working around the clock have so far sent out sent 20,000 traffic tickets, said deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Pharnu Kerdlarpphon.

Pharnu expects the numbers caught to drop after this first phase as motorists' awareness of the cameras grows. Most of the violations occurred between 10pm and 1am and taxis were major perpetrators, he said.

Hitting the brakes

"Since the cameras have been installed, more people are hitting the brakes when they spot yellow lights at intersections, rather than accelerating straight through. I think that the number of road accidents will go down as a result," Pharnu said.

The cameras snap details of a car's speed and location, which are sent to the Central Control Centre's hard disk along with the time and date. A motorist failing to pay the fine within seven days of receiving it will have his vehicle licence number suspended until he settles the bill plus a Bt200-Bt300 late-payment penalty.

Pharnu said police would also be getting tough on motorists who altered their number plates, slapping them with Bt1,000 fines.

Motorists' reactions

Not surprisingly, the reaction of motorists has been mixed, though there has been support for this new technology. One driver who asked not to be named said that if police could put cameras at all intersections it would make motorists more cautious which was bound to save lives. He added that it should also help stop the jams that build up when motorists have to brake at green lights because of vehicles running red lights across the intersection.

Points on deduction

1. First-time offenders face a 40-point deduction.

2. Offend again within a year of the first offence and your deduction will double to 80 points. Anyone with 60 or more points deducted will have his driver's license seized by police and have to attend three hours of training followed by an exam in which he must score more than 50 per cent.

3. Re-offenders will have their licenses suspended for up to 90 days, or even revoked entirely in extreme cases. Driving while one's license is suspended is punishable by Bt1,000 in fines and/or a one-month jail term; drive while it's been seized and you face a Bt2,000 fine.