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Traffic cameras come with no strings attached

LISBON — A total of six fatal traffic accidents occurred over the past five years in the three local communities that have begun using traffic cameras to catch speeding motorists.

Four of the fatalities occurred in Liverpool Township, with one each occurring in East Liverpool and Wellsville, according to data obtained from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

All three communities recently began deploying traffic cameras as a way to slow motorists, with officials there saying the decision was based on safety concerns and not the money generated by speeding tickets. The Journal decided to look at the traffic accident data from 2011-16 for not only those three communities but in six other of the most populous areas in Columbiana County.

For comparison purposes, the Journal broke the figures down per 1,000 residents based on 2010 census data:

Community Total Accidents per 1000 Fatals/Serious Injuries per 1,000*

East Liverpool 145 1.6

Wellsville 23 0.5

Liverpool Township 71 3.9

Lisbon 102 4.2

Columbiana 86 3.6

Salem 93 1.4

St. Clair Township 33 1.3

East Palestine 47 0.6

Perry Township 22 3.5

*Serious injuries are accidents where those involved required medical attention.

The Journal learned that neither East Liverpool, Wellsville or Liverpool Township asked ODOT to perform a traffic study before deciding to use traffic cameras, which is not required.

“The first I heard about this is when we got a request to put up signs in our right-of-ways,” said Chris Varcola, a traffic engineer for ODOT.

He said each year ODOT compiles a list of high-crash areas to review as part of its highway safety program, and none of the streets or roads in East Liverpool, Wellsville or Liverpool Township were subject to an HSP review during the past three years.

Most reviews are conducted after a potential problem is brought to ODOT’s attention. “If we get a complaint from a citizen or law enforcement, we will look into it,” but none were received from the three communities, he said.

Varcola said there is no general rule when it comes to determining if a stretch of road or an intersection is considered a safety problem that needs to be addressed, because accidents and fatalities result from “a random series of events,” such as road conditions, driver impairment, driver distraction, vehicle problems, etc.

But having said that, Varcola noted that speed is usually a factor.

“Most crashes are related to speed, one way or the other,” he said.

Following is a list total traffic accidents that occurred in the abovementioned communities between 2011-16, with serious accidents/fatalities in parenthesis: East Liverpool, 1,626 (19); Wellsville, 80 (2); Liverpool Township, 288 (16); Lisbon, 290 (12); Columbiana, 550 (23); Salem, 1,114 (18); St. Clair Township, 265 (11); East Palestine, 224 (3); and Perry Township, 100 (16).

tgiambroni@mojonews.com

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