6 hours Ago
NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Residents in North Tonawanda are talking about their concerns around unsafe driving, especially near schools.
The city is testing out a new pilot program to study driver behavior and improve safety. Starting the first week of February, two traffic cameras will be placed in different locations to track unsafe driving habit like running stop signs, speeding, and cell phone usage. The pilot program is called Let's Drive Safe, and was inspired by an incident that happened months ago when a crossing guard near a school was hit by a driver who allegedly ignored traffic laws .
North Tonawanda Police Chief Keith Glass said the data will help officers focus enforcement where its needed most. Some residents believe the focus should be on major roads with known traffic issue, like school zones. "It's a group of kids that comes out around 3 o'clock and they go right from Mid-city Plaza, McDonalds, Burger King and it could be very dangerous for them and the parents, trying to pick up their children and the children are walking across the street not necessarily at the crossings," North Tonawanda resident Beverly Loxterman said.
The cameras will move weekly, but officials won't reveal their exact locations to prevent drivers from adjusting their behavior just because they know they're being watched. This pilot program comes at no cost to the city and is strictly for data collection. No tickets will be issued.
The program will help officials gather valuable traffic data, while also allowing the company, Obvio, to refine its technology..
