Put the Brakes on Red Light Cameras

It ticks me off to witness some moron running a red light, especially when there is no police officer there to ticket them.

photo by katmere

I breathe a sigh of relief when that violation results in no accident and no loss of life. Nevertheless, I oppose the use of red light cameras.

I’m not the only one. Here in Florida, protesters have been busy the past couple of weeks trying to shut down the cameras. Some carried signs at intersections, many spread the word on the Internet.











Maybe they caught the attention of their elected officials, as the House Appropriations Committee voted this week to send a bill advocating the banning of red light cameras, HB 4087, to the full House. Though many trumpeted the victory through their Tweets, this was just one battle in what may be a difficult war to win.

Proponents of the cameras argue that they make us safer and point to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They conveniently ignore other studies that show otherwise. In fact, researchers at the University of South Florida say their studies indicate the cameras actually increase crashes.

It’s also important to follow the money trail. Ask who is supporting this issue and do they benefit financially. Auto insurers support red light cameras. No surprise. Increased citations result in increased premiums.

The fines from violations result in revenue for the municipalities, the states, and the camera companies. More violations means more revenue generated. Shortening the yellow light time can increase violations. That could never happen, right? Wrong. It can and it has. Several cities have been caught in this dangerous act.

If people were serious about decreasing violations, they would increase amber time. Studies show that adding just one second can reduce violations by 60 percent or more.

Then there is the issue of constitutionality. Our country guarantees us basic rights, including due process. That means you are presumed innocent, you have the right to a trial and the right to confront you accuser. With red light cameras you are guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent. Good luck with that. Even if someone else is driving your car, you are still guilty. How are you going to confront your accuser? There is no witness, just a photograph.

I just love it when someone argues that if you obey the law, you’ll have no problem. Here all along I have been led to believe that our Constitution is our law.

photo by brewbooks

I would be remiss not to mention how Orwellian the red light cameras are. I bring up the Big Brother connection last because I didn’t want to paint this as a government conspiracy. Still, if the government wins the argument that this is Constitutional, it opens the door wider for more cameras and more invasion of our privacy. It strengthens the government’s argument that to keep us safe it needs to be able to monitor our actions at all times.

Is this yet another government over-reach? It sounds to me like they're using a million-dollar bandage without attending to the wound.