Cameras are finding their way to the streets. With more accidents comes more red light cameras.

Keeping the streets safe has been a growing concern for Kane County officials. With more and more implants of red light cameras, the county has been earning money and ensuring the safety of its citizens.

Junior Hannah Theis has experienced a red light camera herself.

“I was turning left by Geneva Commons and I was in the middle of the intersection when the light was yellow; I saw a bright flash. I was freaking out because I thought it was my car, but it ended up being the person behind me,” Theis said.

As of March 9, the cameras have been shut down due to controversy. The fate of these specific cameras is still pending with the board of Kane County.

Although some have been shut down around Kane County, that hasn’t stopped the rest of America.

Red light cameras have become more prevalent across the nation. The cameras are designed for traffic enforcement and automatically take pictures of a car and its license plate that has entered an intersection against a red light. The photos taken are then sent to the city’s Department of Revenue to be reviewed according to the city of Chicago.

In 2008, Kane County clerk John Cunningham passed a policy for adopting the red light running cameras to be used.

The consequences, however, could be considered minimal among other things. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the violation will cost the owner of the license plate $100, and fortunately, the act will not be put on the driver’s record.

Fatality Analysis Reporting Systems reports say that there were 762 deaths in 2008 caused by running red lights, and an estimated 165,000 were injured by the same cause.

Kane County Officer Keith Gardner feels that the cameras are a protection for accidents.

“I think that the cameras are okay for main intersections with well documented accidents. I wouldn’t, however, put them all over, I don’t think that would be beneficial,” Gardner said.

Some people think otherwise.

“I don’t think having those cameras is smart. I think it’s pointless unless they are placed somewhere where a lot of pedestrians walk by,” junior Taylor Vranicar said.

According to Kane County, whereabouts of the cameras are located where there has been numerous crashes identified and where the county feels it is most necessary. This way they can lessen the number of accidents and keep a safe roadway.

Some studies show that they may be causing more damage than protection.

While most are saying that the cameras will help reduce accidents, a study in Los Angeles from the National Motorists Association website is saying that the cameras are doing the opposite. The city has claimed that the cameras increased accidents by 34 percent.

“Overall, I like the concept of the red light running cameras. I feel that people pay more attention and make smarter decisions because they are aware of the camera,” Gardner said.