After returning home from work the other day, I found an unpleasant surprise waiting for me in the mailbox. Amid the junk mail and endless brochures was a notice from the Maryland police. Of course, I was intrigued. I tore the envelope open quickly only to find a paper with three small images of my car running a red light! The first feeling that came into my mind was a sense of being naked — exposed — for the enjoyment of Big Brother. I was shocked and surprised to realize that I actually did this early one morning. I’m someone who drives very carefully and extremely slowly, something that drives my husband absolutely crazy. "These cameras are just revenue generators!" was his only commentary on the incident. Well, they certainly are controversial. The only reason I can offer for my red light running was being half-asleep while listening to the early morning weather report! The price for this careless behavior: $75! Sigh. No more early morning radio for me! Bring on Green Day. (Image enlarges on click.) |
I don’t have time to address this as fully as I would like. But let me just add two things. First, one of the founding principals of our justice system is the presumption of innocence, not guilt. These cameras and every statement surrounding them presumes guilt. They don’t want you to appeal; it’s just like a parking ticket; just pay it. It goes against the foundation of our judiciary. Second, we are not children. We do not need to be punished in order to follow the law. As I said, and some disagree, most do not know about these cameras. Take an office survey of “regular” folk and you’ll see. Ever been into a new intersection filled with lights and signs of all shapes and sizes? Maybe the lights are not on poles on the side of the road like you grew up with but they are some 200 meters across a confusing busy intersection hanging up in the wires. Ever get confused and suddenly realize, oh crap, that light is changing red? Cost for your confusion: $75. Anyway, it’s obvious my argument is falling on deaf ears here so I’ll find some comments that are perhaps more convincing for later. In the meantime, those enamored with having their picture taken can relax in the police state that is rapidly surrounding you.
I think they should be put on every major corner. Speeding cameras should be put there as well. When they are everywhere no one can say they didnt know. Thousands, yes thousands, of people die every year. Many because people run red lights or are convinced driving like a mad man will get you to your destination quicker.
Lets take a look…….10,000+ dead a year or red light and speeding cameras. Not a hard choice for me.
If you are not guilty of speeding or running red lights there should be no issue? As to being “presumed guilty” or “invasion of privacy” I dont buy it. We are on video all of the time, both private and public, so it just doesnt wash.
Jeff, maybe when your stint as a parent begins, the punishment thing will make more sense. We call it ‘consequences’. When a rule is broken, consequences are meted out…the discomfort of consequences does train us to obey, since usually knowledge of the rule is not quite strong enough to get us to obey it.
Yes, and if we all use the round about type intersections, instead of traffic lights it would drop even more than getting the light timing right. But seriously, unless you are a complete moron or don’t pay attention, people tend to figure out where the cameras are pretty fast, just like they figure out where cops hide in side alleys, behind signs, etc. The point is to nail the people too clueless to get it in the first place. The problem isn’t that people go back to old ways, its that usually the means to nail them for doing the wrong thing is inconsistent and spotty. That is why New York was for a long time one of the worst places for crime in the continental US, until a new mayor declared that if there was a law against someone spit on a sidewalk, he better see a report on his desk the next day showing how many people got ticketed for spitting on sidewalks. Oddly, the moment the police started consistently enforcing the minor laws, the over all crime rate for everything else dropped too.
Then you have some place like where I live… You get boat and car accidents (sometimes both) on an almost monthly basis, no one seems to know what the hell turn signals or dimmer switches for their lights do and the police have a policy to hunt down girls showing tits on the beach, instead of enforcing traffic regulations. Guess how good the traffic control is here…. Duh! Been bloody tempted a few times to mount a camera on the family car and send the tape in to the cops, so they know what the heck people do on the road around here, but not being a law enforcement officer, its probably a) somehow illegal for me to do it and b) inadmicible in court, even if it showed someone intentionally running over 50 school children. Well… Maybe in that case, but not for the 50 people that I run across each day that shouldn’t have a bloody fishing license, never mind a driving license.
When the government starts misusing them like the nuts in the Scientology movement:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9363363/inside_scientology
Until then, anything that helps the cops, in places where they give a damn about traffic control, the ability to suspend some of these lunatics licenses is something I approve of. And its a whole heck of a lot harder to argue that the light was yellow then the picture and data all show it was red, than if some cop catches you doing it. Not to mention easier to fight if it is in fact not working properly.
Are we implying that, since rules are not respected, and that crime rate is up, we should go ahead and cancel those rules and laws? what logic is that? and where is this leading us into ? We all run red lights, violate the law and sometimes get away with it. When we don’t, thats when we learn the lesson; as time goes by, we forget and come back to our old practices and break the law, and so on…this is the cycle of life.
The logic given here is faulty. You think red light cameras save lives. How? These cameras are not announced anywhere. Natasha didn’t know it was there. How — in any way — could this camera have helped stop her from running a red light? If you say, “oh, now she’ll be more careful” your logic is flawed. The camera didn’t help prevent her from running that red light. It only punished her. The cameras punish to teach a lesson, to alert drivers of their presence.
I would be willing to bet that 95 per cent or more of those driving through this intersection do not know that camera is there. How again is that camera reducing accidents. Simply put: It is not.
More evidence. The “ticket” is not so much a ticket. It says on it, “think of this more like a parking meter fine…it will not cost you points, it will not increase your insurance premium.” I’m paraphrasing here but in essence, it says “pay $75 or, if you want, you can go to court. But be warned it could cost you more. Why don’t you just pay it.”
They are slapping the face of motorists, generating revenue and invading privacy. These cameras are a menace and most states recognize this, with a majority cutting funding after an initial rollout. Worse? The camera is not specific to the driver. It goes to whosoever owns the vehicle, tied in to that license plate. So your son, daughter, spouse, cousin, etc could be running lights throughout the city all the while putting you in debt with their actions.
Does that sound fair or just? No! And does is reduce red light runners? Not at all! Will Natasha be more careful at that intersection? You bet. But to do so she had to be reminded by a $75 fine.
I suppose you could say the system works like this: “We’ll slowly ticket everyone with a driver’s license around the country. In this way we will alert them to the possible presence of red light cameras and we’ll encourage them to drive more safely.” I’m sorry this is an absolute crock. They know it and anyone reading this should as well. They aren’t in it for safety, or else it might cost points, or insurance. They just want you to pay. Everything on the sucker encourages you to “just take care of it.” They make the comparison “it’s just like a parking ticket.” That should say it all.
The truth of it: the cities need to roll out studies – bring out the traffic engineers — and rectify their light timing (the length that green, red and amber light stay up there). In particular, they have to examine the yellow light times. One study proved that after the camera was in place, red light running — and more importantly: accidents — didn’t go down at all. But once they got their yellow light time extended by a second, accidents went down by 90 per cent! But this kind of effort costs money and time, etc. And unfortunately, most citizens have this simple knee jerk reaction: Oh, it makes the roads safer. Somehow the argument makes sense to many. But how? How does an unknown and invasive camera make the roads safer? These cameras are put out there, either in the bushes or out with other similarly clad metal boxes; sometimes it’s a white van on the side of the road. No one is alerted to their presence. Many people have never even heard about them until the ticket arrives in the mail.
Parking tickets aren’t making the roads any safer are they? Neither are these menacing, Big Brother, privacy-invading, subcontracted plagues upon the drivers of suburbia!!
PS ‘Madaba’ is Natasha’s hometown in Jordan. And a wonderful place it is. See more here:
Most Americans consider traffic cams an invasion of privacy,but if even one life is saved it’s probably worth it.$75 is a surprisingly low fine,but I wonder if this will affect your insurance premium?BTW,what does your vanity plate mean?
I guess if you have ever been hit by someone speeding through a red light you might dispute the idea that these are just revenue generators. Having lived in Europe for years I accept these things. They have them all over Germany and they drastically cut down on accidents and deaths.
There was one area where they were put where there had been multiple deaths the year before, not one death after they were put. People dont realise you are risking your life and others when you run red lights. Better a ticket than hitting a mini van with a whole family and killing a couple of children.
I am all for them.
So when can we get these in Jordan?
We could solve all of Jordan’s economic woes if every traffic violater paid up his 10JD…someone call USAID and get a grant quick.
You should be happy! in the gold coast, queensland australia here, u pay 295 dollars if you do that, plus 3 pt taken away from your balance (12pts). if u loose all the points, no driving for 6months…