The Arrecife Local Police is installing the system known as photo-red, 24-hour cameras, radar type, that detect drivers who have run red lights, and communicate it instantly to the DGT, the General Directorate of Traffic.
This system, a pioneer in Lanzarote, has significantly reduced the number of traffic accidents in major European cities where it is installed. Local Police investigations have shown that a significant percentage of serious traffic accidents on urban roads originate from high speed, and reckless drivers who run red lights. Several of these accidents, including rollovers, have been recorded in recent times on the Medular Road, in the capital of Lanzarote.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, directly responsible for the Local Police, informs citizens that the deployment of these systems is being finalized, powered by solar energy through solar panels. "They are clearly visible on public roads, in the interconnections where traffic lights are located, and their objective is to reduce speeding on the streets of Arrecife, to stop reckless drivers, who put the lives of pedestrians and drivers at risk by running red lights," the mayor remarked.
The Arrecife City Council, through the Local Police Area, already has very advanced installations of this security system at traffic light intersections on the Medular Road, and on other key roads in the capital of Lanzarote.
In particular, they have been located in areas near schools and high-density pedestrian crossings (such as at the exits of the Bus Station, or Health Centers), among other places. The infraction of any red light involves a financial penalty and the consequent loss of 4 points from the driving license. Directly, these teams communicate the data of the offender to the General Directorate of Traffic, DGT.
The installation of these photo-red systems consists of placing cameras on the traffic light intersection to verify compliance with the detection of vehicles when the traffic light turns red. The objective of this measure is to increase road safety on the streets of Arrecife, emphasizes Mayor Yonathan de León.
The Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function highlights on its official website, through the State Secretariats of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, and Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, that "the so-called photo-red system consists of the installation of cameras at certain traffic lights in order to verify compliance with the stopping of vehicles at pedestrian crossings with traffic lights in the city".
The cameras are installed on a boom-type support 25 meters from the stop line to allow complete framing of the pedestrian crossing and the driver's traffic light head itself. All crossings with photo-red control are announced by specific signage before reaching the support of the control equipment. Each installation has an infrared camera that allows capturing the license plate of the vehicle day and night. In addition, each installation has a color camera that takes five photographs of the vehicle crossing, in which the make, model and color of the vehicle can be distinguished in addition to the license plate.
The Ministry, adds in its information about this system, that "only those vehicles that have a license plate are able to sanction, including cars, vans, trucks, buses, motorcycles and mopeds. Pedestrians and cyclists are not captured with this type of system, although in specific areas controls are carried out by Municipal Police and Mobility Agents. The control cameras are designed to be connected directly to the red light and can only obtain photographs when the traffic light is in the red phase. If the traffic light is green or amber, the equipment is not activated".