No flash, no foul in Lake in the Hills
Either people traversing Lake in the Hills' most dangerous intersections have become instantly much safer or they are budget conscious.
A pair of red light cameras, which went live earlier this month, did not catch a single motorist driving through red lights at Randall and Miller roads or at Algonquin and Hilltop roads on their first days in operation, police said.
Baffled police even checked to make sure the cameras were working, and they are, Sgt. Robert Harper said.
"I mean, it is what it is," Harper said. "It issues them or doesn't."
Police chose these intersections due to the high number of accidents and red light violations reported there.
In 2006, there were 49 traffic-related accidents at Randall and Miller roads.
That same year, 27 accidents were reported at Algonquin and Hilltop roads, officials said.
The red light cameras work like this: a laser beam extends across the line just before the stop light and the camera catches you if your entire vehicle moves across the line while the light is still red.
The camera sends the footage to the police department, where officers review it to determine if a violation was made and who gets $100 citations.
As proof that the cameras are indeed watching your every move, the one at Algonquin and Hilltop roads issued two $100 citations on Dec. 11, its second day of operation, Harper said.
But motorists driving past the camera at Randall and Miller roads - widely considered the most dangerous intersection in town - didn't trip the camera's laser once on Dec. 6, the second day it was rolling.
LaserCraft Inc. rents the cameras to Lake in the Hills and charges $4,495 a month for each device - right now, there is one more camera in place at Acorn Lane and Randall Road.
Harper declined to speculate on what happens if the numbers at the new cameras are consistently low. Police had banked on the citations more than paying the rent.
Meanwhile, he wonders if the season of giving is the reason motorists are obeying traffic laws at those intersections.
"As the holidays come around, people are more cognizant of $100 leaving their wallet at a time when they have to buy Christmas presents," he said.