Starting February 3, 2009, the NJ DOT has begun a state pilot program that will use cameras to catch motorists as they zip through intersections with traffic signal devices. The State Department of Transportation officials advised that it will monitor 14 intersections from nine municipalities: Edison, Jersey City, Lawrence, Linden, New Brunswick, Wayne, Piscataway, Roselle Park and Stafford. Four previously designated intersections in Newark, East Brunswick and Brick are presently monitored.
The NJ Red Light Running Camera program, which Gov. Jon Corzine signed into law in January 2008, makes New Jersey one of 33 states and more than 300 communities that use traffic cameras to monitor violations.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, thousands of people die and are injured across the U.S. as a result of vehicles running red lights. About half are pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles.
The 12 NJ municipalities participating in the Red Light Running Camera program have approvals to purchase and install their own camera systems, which cost $100,000. The cameras take photos of cars alleged in a NJ intersection traffic violation and then the police can mail tickets to the registered owners of the vehicles. In New Jersey, motorists caught violating a red light ticket face fines of $85 and 2 NJMVC points on their license.
The 12 NJ towns with intersections that will be enforced under the DOT's Red Light Running Camera program are:
Brick
East Brunswick
Edison
Jersey City
Lawrence
Linden
New Brunswick
Newark
Piscataway
Roselle Park
Stafford
Wayne