Chesapeake installs red-light cameras

The City of Chesapeake is installing red-light cameras at various intersections in the city.  The first intersection to obtain this technology on Friday, August 27 will be at Battlefield Boulevard/Atlantic Avenue and Campostella Road.  Drivers will be given a 30-day grace period, after which drivers caught violating traffic lights in the north and southbound lanes of the intersection known as Edmunds Corner could find a notice for a $50 fine in the mailbox. 

There are 28 intersections in Chesapeake up for consideration for red-light cameras.  Eight of the intersections under consideration are along Battlefield Boulevard:  Kempsville Road, Medical Parkway, Volvo Parkway, Mount Pleasant Road, Wal-Mart Way, Cedar Road, the Chesapeake Expressway, and Edmunds Corner. 

State law allows for one red-light camera per 10,000 residents.  That means that Chesapeake can have 21 cameras, although they may never install that many.  Site selection is based on the number of crashes and traffic violations and the ease with which officers can enforce the site.

The City of Chesapeake says that the motivation for installing these red-light cameras is not profit rather it is safety.  Hopefully, the cameras will act as a deterrent for drivers and will reduce the number of automobile accidents and pedestrian accidents.  Yellow signs will warn drivers approaching the intersection that red-light cameras are in use. 

The $50 fee for violations is a civil penalty and will not affect Department of Motor Vehicles records.  Violators can dispute the fine in court or sign an affidavit swearing they were not the driver. 

City officials say they do not know how many violations to expect at the intersection at Battlefield Boulevard/Atlantic Avenue and Campostella Road.  Virginia Beach has also installed red-light cameras and has fallen short of the profit they hoped to bring in.