Red Light Cameras: We’ll probably get ‘em, like it or not
March 6th, 2008 by Alex Pickett in Our Government, The Morning Papers
In one hour, the Hillsborough County Commission will hold its public hearing and final vote on installing red light cameras at busy intersections.
By the comments I’ve heard from Commissioner Ken Hagan, chief supporter of the cameras, the concept looks like a shoo-in.
Which is unfortunate. Of course, nobody likes people who run red lights. But there are more issues with these cameras than just finding a way to prevent accidents.
There’s the privacy issue.
There’s the rear-end collision issue.
There’s the “Does it really work?†issue.
There’s the issue of a private company conducting law enforcement duties for profit.
Plus the issue of the government choosing these cameras to fill their own coffers.
And it’s even against state law (some counties in Florida have found a loophole, though).
I don’t think these issues are getting as much play as the “let’s-get-cameras-and-we’ll-all-be-safer” line. Pam Iorio agrees, reports the Times:
Mayor Pam Iorio recently considered and scrapped a proposal to install red-light cameras in Tampa. She said some research has shown the cameras cause accidents because people slam on their brakes when lights change.
She also expressed concern about a company issuing the citations and keeping a portion of the fines.
“The jury’s still out as to whether that approach works,” Iorio said.
Admittedly, some arguments against the cameras are better than others. But from personal experience, cameras do little to combat red light runners. Running a red light is usually a split second decision made by a hurried driver. If they are already risking life and limb to save a few seconds, I don’t see how they’ll care about a ticket.
If it works and saves lives, I won’t complain. But, honestly, this smells much more like a business opportunity for some Arizona company, at my expense no less.
What do you think?
UPDATE: Yup, we got ‘em.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Nobody likes people who run red lights? I beg to differ; on at least two occasions, I’ve been in a left turn lane and have been honked at to creep my car into the intersection so that I can turn AFTER the light’s turned red (and, of course, so the impatient a-hole behind me can run through the light as well)
March 6th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Anthony, I’m with you. I get honked at all the time for slowing down in a turn lane that’s yellow instead of barreling through the light or stacking the box.
Rear ending? Follow people at the safe and proper distance and slow the eff down around intersections and there won’t be as many problems.
I was almost killed - seriously - just last week by a car that decided to run a red light a good 5 seconds after I’d already been given a green.
There are certain intersections I just know better than to accelerate after getting a green signal because at least 4 to 5 cars run the red. Every. Time.
When that many cars run the red on one side, it pisses people off and encourages others to do it since they feel they got cheated on their end.
Simply, way too many people treat a yellow light as a flag drop in a drag race. It’s dangerous.
I consider myself pretty liberal and on many issues libertarian and I just don’t get the privacy issues. I returned from Europe just a month ago and every tube stop, train, stations and a whole lot of businesses all prominently display a sign saying that you’re on CCTV.
I think the face recognition software argument has way better legs than traffic cameras.
The bottom-line here is that people are self-centered assholes on the road and one of the best ways to combat that is to hit them in the wallet every time they decide they are more important than everyone else.
I’m not saying I have a solid stance here that red-light cameras are the only way - but something has to give. It’s insane, and getting worse.
March 6th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Alright, let me add something then: What if, after the red light cameras, the county installs speeding cameras. Is everyone still on board?
March 6th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I suppose the argument against cameras, speeding or red light, could basically be the same: They will cause more accidents because people will hit the brakes too abruptly once they notice them.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Alex, do you really believe that “Running a red light is usually a split second decision made by a hurried driver.” ?
HOGWASH. These people are impatient, selfish jerks, not hurried. And it happens all the time. You sound as if this is not rampant.
Anthony’s argument: “They will cause more accidents because people will hit the brakes too abruptly”
HOGWASH. Lights and cameras do not cause accidents. DRIVERS DO. If they were driving as the laws instruct us to, there would be no need for slamming the brakes.
To answer your follow-up, When speeding begins to cause wrecks at the rate of intersections, fire up the cameras.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Alex, you bring up a good point on the whole “slippery slope”, argument.
Why stop at monitoring red lights? Why not have cameras in school and construction zones, or even in the car itself? Should bad driving habits such as eating behind the wheel be penalized?
Because if the whole point is making the roads safer, you must basically “dehumanize” the driver and always hold him accountable.
I myself make at least 1 bad driving choice every time I’m on the road, and am guilty of having treated a yellow light more as signal to rush than to let up the gas.
But should I be penalized? Maybe so.
But how? Fines, jail time, license suspension? Probably.
Are cameras really going to help stop people from being idiots? Most definitely not. But that blind fear that someone is always watching and may punish you will do a lot more good than so called issues of “privacy on the road.”
What exactly do you need to be hiding when you’re traveling?
March 10th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Tommy,
I do believe the vast majority of red light runners do not go around town with the purpose of running red lights. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen - there are those people who lick toads for kicks too — but I don’t believe it’s the vast majority of people. I think most people who run them are in a hurry, not thinking about the consequences and just want to “beat the light.” For that reason, I do think it’s rampant. In fact, because of that reason it’s rampant.
I’m not completely against them — you can’t argue with the saving of lives — but my real issue has to do with how cities come into agreements for cameras and how the profits are used. And, speaking from someone who has lived a large city that uses these, there was not much difference in the number of red light runners.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:37 am
UPDATE:
As far as my comment on speeding cameras not being far away: I heard on the radio that Maryland has cameras on those road construction signs that alert you to your speed. (Virginia and Maryland were some of the first states to get red light cameras too). There was a study on who rec’d the most speeding tickets from them. Answer? The police.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Fair enough. I’m not sure it will work, either. But I find it difficult to accept that there is no way to improve this problem. I just haven’t heard of any other ideas.