Skip to main content

ATS aids US police to investigate crashes, crimes and more

Red light, speed and school bus safety cameras are typically used to catch dangerous drivers, but US law enforcement agencies also use the video and still images to investigate an average of 300 criminal and crash incidents a month. American Traffic Solutions (ATS) has responded to more than 20,000 requests for video from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2016 from police forces in the US, which, when permitted by law, utilised the video and still images to analyse crashes, catch criminals and identify drivers in
September 22, 2016 Read time: 1 min
Red light, speed and school bus safety cameras are typically used to catch dangerous drivers, but US law enforcement agencies also use the video and still images to investigate an average of 300 criminal and crash incidents a month.

17 American Traffic Solutions (ATS) has responded to more than 20,000 requests for video from 1 January 2011 to 31 May 2016 from police forces in the US, which, when permitted by law, utilised the video and still images to analyse crashes, catch criminals and identify drivers in hit-and-run collisions.

Among the requests for videos, ATS found 44 per cent of the requests aided the investigation of a crash; 32 per cent assisted with a police investigation; nine per cent were used in a robbery investigation; seven per cent assisted with a hit-and-run investigation; another six per cent were used to investigate a homicide, and two per cent were used to investigate shootings.

Related Content

  • October 1, 2015
    IAM calls for more visible policing as speeding offences rise
    Figures obtained by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) show that, over the last decade, speeding is still the biggest motoring-related offence where the defendant is found guilty in court. The numbers of those found guilty have risen sharply in the past 12 months – from 115,935 to 148,426, an increase of 28 per cent, the highest number since 2005. The 2014 figures were two per cent greater than 2004. The next highest offence where defendants were found guilty was vehicle insurance-related crime
  • July 8, 2019
    Reduce fatal crashes? Get police on the road
    There are many elements to speed enforcement - but research suggests there is a strong correlation between getting police on the roads and reducing fatal collisions There are a variety of elements which go into successful speed enforcement. The European Union’s blueprint for this (see 10 Rules…) ranges from prioritising roads to offender education courses, and from legislation to data. But research suggests that one of the key factors is visibility – drivers need to see technology in action or police on
  • January 28, 2013
    US study finds cameras reduce red light running
    The latest research by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that red light running rates declined at Arlington, Virginia, intersections equipped with cameras. The decreases were particularly large for the most dangerous violations, those happening 1.5 seconds or longer after the light turned red. "This study provides fresh evidence that automated enforcement can get drivers to modify their behaviour," says Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at IIHS and the study's lead au
  • July 3, 2013
    Study finds red-light cameras reduce crashes
    A study carried out by Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Department of Public Works shows drops in both traffic crashes and violations at selected intersections in the five years since the city launched a traffic light camera program. The study evaluated intersections where traffic cameras were installed in 2008 and 2009 by comparing the average number of crashes in the years before and after the cameras took effect, and showed a sharp decline in right-angle crashes - considered the most dangerous type of collisions