Red Light Cameras

Are they fabulous? Or not? In full disclosure I should say that though I do not run red lights, I have been a passenger in a vehicle that ran one. This instance resulted in a crash that totaled three vehicles. We were hit sandwich style on both sides by cross traffic. There were zero injuries. And we attribute that fact to divine intervention. Back then red light cameras were non-existent. I'm fairly certain they would not have prevented this crash however. I was a teen ager and in a car with 3 other teens and we were headed to the mall. The music was pumping and the conversation lively. Roads are made with sensors now. I used to think it had everything to do with timing traffic signals. Nope...there's another purpose. Notice that a red light in the diagram below will trigger the camera to take a photo of the vehicle before it enters the intersection on red and then take a video as it crosses. Then you get a ticket in the mail...with a link to the video of your infraction.

So what's the debate all about? If it's all about safety then let's put the cameras everywhere we can! But what if it's not all about safety? What if there's more? 
Views of those in the FAVOR of red light cameras:

• Reduction of violators at monitored intersections.
• Reduction of violators at UNmonitored intersections.
• Combination of extending the yellow light by one second and cameras reduce the number of violators even further.
• An IIHS study showed a reduction in collisions associated with red light running by 30%.
• For more details see the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. They've got a video right under the date on this page that outlines the safety argument.
• Biggest argument: if you don't want to pay the fine, don't run a red light. It's your choice.

Some views of those AGAINST red light cameras:

• Red light cameras do NOT stop offending behavior as it happens.
• Red light cameras generate millions of dollars for the city of Seattle.
• Cameras are owned, serviced and monitored by for-profit companies who take a significant portion of the earnings (IIHS). Washington uses an Arizona-based company, ATS. Burien contracts with Redflex to the tune of $19,400 per month to the company regardless of how much "revenue" or tickets are issued/paid.
• Nine studies across the US, Canada and Australia indicate that red light cameras actually INCREASE crashes and injuries.
• Making the focus on ticketing (not stopping) violators who do NOT cause collisions instead of finding ways to alleviate why drivers are running lights (I'm talking mostly about the congestive intersections around the mall that have at least a few cars running the lights every cycle) indicates that the primary purpose of the camera is to make money. Otherwise, the cameras would only ticket those who cause collisions or near misses.  
• Those who run the red lights often don't even realize it until their ticket comes in the mail. This delay doesn't alter driving habits. It angers people and fuels distrust of the government.

Sometimes, civil disobedience takes care of injustices. See Santa's Helpers in Tempe, AZ at their finest. Ha ha ha, is this for real? Yup. Ha ha ha. My three year old loves this video.

The National Motorists Associations have published "Five Proven Ways to Stop Red Light Running, which makes a lot of sense to me. Turning to revenue-generating cameras to enforce a broken system doesn't seem right. Click here to read each point its entirety.

1. Increase the yellow-light time.

2. Add an all-red clearance interval.

3. Make traffic lights more visible.

4. Improve intersections for motorists.

5. Retime traffic signals.

There's one group that has a $10,000 challenge to help cities rid themselves of cameras in favor of actual engineering solutions. Cities have nothing to lose here...if safety truly is their number one concern.

Show us any camera-equipped intersection that still has high numbers of red-light violations and we will guarantee a minimum 50-percent reduction in red-light violations through the application of engineering solutions.

After some discussion and education on the matter of red light cameras, my view of them has turned sour. Maybe it's like that for you, too. For more information on how to get involved, see bancams.com a group that actively protests the cameras, a Dori Monson show on Kiro FM, and http://www.facebook.com/HatingRedLightCameras. ***What do you think about the cameras? Please vote in the sidebar poll!