Charlotte Safety Committee Reviews Red Light Camera Policy After Traffic Deaths

Charlotte City Council's Safety Committee received an update Monday on bringing red light cameras back to city streets. The Charlotte Department of Transportation presented findings while officials search for methods to reduce crashes and prevent deaths.

This discussion came months after a hit-and-run crash in NoDa took the life of Lance Sotelo, age 25, back in January. Sustain Charlotte has been pushing hard to bring these cameras back. They're part of a wider push to stop traffic deaths across the city.

Charlotte tried red light cameras once before. The program ran from 1998 through 2006, and data showed collisions dropped by 30%. But officials pulled the plug because of money problems.

Do cameras actually change how drivers act? Some residents aren't convinced. Critics argue these systems just send fines after someone breaks the rules instead of stopping bad driving when it happens.

According to WCNC, city transportation leaders say speeding causes more deadly crashes than running red lights. That's why they've been putting money into speed cameras instead.

The Safety Committee met at 1 p.m. on April 6 at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. CDOT's update was for information only. No vote took place.

What gets said in these meetings could change policy down the road as city leaders weigh different strategies to make roads safer. Sustain Charlotte argues that enforcement tools like cameras must be part of any serious plan to stop future tragedies and protect people on city streets.