Why Photo Radar, Speed Cameras And Red Light Cameras Are Wrong …
And What You Can Do To Stop Them
First of all, for those of you who are already fed up with camera tickets, turn on your computer’s speakers and then click here to learn how to stop camera tickets:
Stop Camera Tickets
Now, for those of you who think I’m encouraging people to run red lights (yeah right) …or who think that traffic camera enforcement is a great thing, here’s some food for thought:
Camera tickets do not stop the offender at the scene of the offense
Example: Drunk driver blows through a red light. Camera takes a picture. 2 blocks later he mows down a couple kids. 2 weeks later he gets a ticket in the mail. Had that camera been a real cop, those 2 kids would still be alive. Think about it.
Special circumstances are impossible to determine
Example #1: You’re waiting to make a left hand turn at a green light (no arrow). Your car is in the middle of the intersection. There is another car right behind you waiting to turn as well. Traffic is heavy and there are no breaks in the oncoming traffic. The light turns yellow. Traffic keeps coming. The light turns red. Two more stragglers run the red light coming the other way. You are finally able to safely complete your left hand turn. And as you do, the camera goes off. Is the computer taking the snapshot able to see the whole sequence of events? Of course not. Would a real cop write you a ticket? Not likely.
Example #2: A man recently received a red light ticket in the mail. He had been part of a POLICE ESCORTED funeral procession. The whole procession went through the red light while police stopped traffic. The ticket was still mailed out.
Traffic cameras reduce the deterrent of actual police presence
It’s too easy for law enforcement agencies to fall into the trap of relying on cameras to do their job. And the fact is, a camera will never be a substitute for a real police officer.
A camera sees things in black and white. It is unable to evaluate a series of events and make a subjective decision based on the situation.
A camera is unable to engage in positive enforcement. (That’s when a cop just issues a warning to someone who makes an honest mistake)
Cameras are not a deterrent to drunk, impaired or inattentive drivers, real cops are.
There are also a litany of problems with the equipment, the manufacturers and their incestuous relationships with the municipalities that they supply the cameras to in exchange for a huge percentage of the fines collected … but that’s another book.