Buffalo Grove looking into red light cameras

Buffalo Grove joins a growing list of suburban communities considering installing red-light cameras at intersections in a move police say would improve safety.

The village is currently researching different companies that provide automated camera enforcement. All would employ a video clip of the violation that drivers could view on a secured Web site, according to Village Manager William Brimm.

Village trustees have requested village management to look into cameras with a flashless system, or ones with a filtered "bounce flash" that is less intrusive, Brimm said.

They will receive an informal update of the staff review at the July 20 village board meeting. Brimm said village staff has a recommendation for a vendor, but will ask trustees for further input at the meeting.

Buffalo Grove Police Sgt. Michael Szos said red light violations are the leading cause of accidents at 10 high-crash intersections the village has identified. There are about 200 crashes per year at those intersections - 20 percent to 25 percent of which result in personal injury.

Police see the cameras as picking up where conventional enforcement has failed.

"We look at red-light cameras for providing 24-hour, 7-day-a-week coverage," Szos said. "We're looking at public safety."

Brimm said the village attorney and police department have been talking with their counterparts in towns that have red-light cameras.

There's no word yet on how many cameras could be installed or the cost. And Brimm said the village isn't looking at cameras as a way to generate revenue. Any agreement with a vendor could be terminated if better safety at intersections isn't generated, he said.

Discussions about installing red light cameras in Buffalo Grove first arose in 2007 and the village has been cautiously exploring the issue since then, Brimm said.

High-crash intersections

Here's a list of the 10 Buffalo Grove intersections with the most crashes.

Arlington Heights and Lake Cook roads

Lake Cook Road and Route 83/McHenry Road

Arlington Heights Road and Route 68/Dundee Road

Buffalo Grove and Lake Cook roads

Buffalo Grove Road and Route 68/Dundee Road

Arlington Heights Road and Route 83/McHenry Road

Deerfield Parkway and Weiland Road

Buffalo Grove and Aptakisic roads

Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway

Buffalo Grove Road and Route 83/McHenry Road

Source: Buffalo Grove Police Department statistics from 2005 through 2007