A Nation Divided: Are Traffic Cameras A Necessity Or Simply A Revenue Source?

Can we agree that no one over age 65 may reply to this story. Oops, too late.

Or at least individuals with the profile name of "Enforcement" may be slightly biased...or am I wrong in assuming your an "officer"...officer.

Absolutely, 100 percent, the cameras are for generating revenue. Study after study has proven that there is an increase in accidents with injuries in intersections where these cameras are installed. The locations picked are not usually even dangerous, but rather handle more traffic and therefore more $$$ for the man. It's worth mentioning that today Florida Governor Charlie "Benedict" Crist just signed a bill that allows these cameras at any intersection in the state. Where's Jeb when we need him?

I am ok with speed and red light cameras if they turn and restore cops to our communities, businesses and neighborhoods.

For one, adaquete notice is provided if you are approaching a speed or red light camera. So what do you do? SLOW DOWN! Plus you are able to memorize where these camera are, so you should know where not to speed in your city.

Cops can switch positions and hide behind diferent bushes anywhere.

So if they remove cops from fundraising efforts i.e. speeding tickets, and have them actually do what they should be doing such as looking for ways to protect our communities and make out cities safer, then I support it.

If they are going to utilize both cops and traffic cameras all in fundraising efforts, I dont support either.

Go with the data, folks. Numerous articles have shown that the agencies who manufacture and install these devices, and who also share in their revenue, have shortened yellow-light times in order to increase the number of red-light runners and revenues... and traffic accidents! That doesn't make sense to me, unless all you're after is profit.

I'm all *FOR* a good, long (at least legal) yellow-light time, followed by a good long (and legal) all-ways-red time, which has been proven to reduce accidents. Put cameras here for *added* safety.

Remove red light cameras period.

All data is arbitrary. Yes they might save lives at a specific intersection over a given amount of time...but I would like to see all correlating data on how other intersections near by did during the same duration. Everyone who knows there are red light cameras on a certain road, usually try to find some way to avoid traveling on that road near the camera at all, for fear of accidentally getting a ticket.

Which brings me to my second issue. Fear. If your so afraid of getting a ticket from a red light camera...where are your eyes? Well I know where they are not, they are not on the road.

Time for the third issue, listen I know we give away rights left and right here in our country, of late, under the auspices of safety and security, however one must ask themselves this. If I get a ticket from a live police officer, I have the right to face the accusing officer in court to dispute this claim. This is as expressed by the 5th Amendment (Due Process) and 6th Amendment (Confrontation Clause) of our Constitution. If I get a ticket from a camera on a pole, why does the Constitution all of a sudden get thrown out the window? All of a sudden I have no ability to challenge my accuser. This alone should have the concept of Red Light cameras invalidated in the US.

Alright rant over...for now.

Spectator wrote "Which brings me to my second issue. Fear. If your so afraid of getting a ticket from a red light camera...where are your eyes? Well I know where they are not, they are not on the road."

Use Google to find the many examples in which red-light camera vendors have reduced yellow-light times in order to "manufacture" and nab more red-light runners. It happened so frequently, and also contrary to law that state how long the yellow should last, than some states have already taken action and passed laws *against* red light cameras, for this specific reason. It was terribly obvious, in these specific examples, that revenue was sought at the price of safety.

Mind you, in my mind, I separate the concept from the implementation, and in the above example, the implementation was to blame, and not the concept. See my previous post pertaining to the concept.