A friend forwarded me a request -
To "like" the facebook page, banredlightcamerasinsierravista
I don't know about you - maybe you are one of those people who run red lights, don't use your turn signal, and are normally driving about ten miles above the speed limit.
But I'm not - I am one of those incredibly annoying people who, when the speed limit is 35 mph, is actually DRIVING 35 mph.
I admit to never coming to a full and complete at a stop sign - the expression "California stop" was invented for just me.
But I have never intentionally run a red light, I do not knowingly exceed the speed limit, and I ALWAYS use my turn signal, even if there in not a single car in sight/
So, obviously, I am FULLY in favor of the speed cams that catch you at the traffic intersections.
This Facebook page had some fun arguments against the speed cams: now I am going to list ALL their arguments, not just the ones they listed:
(Don't read this unless you are really interested - I just find it incredibly silly)
1.
Burden on the innocent: Misidentification
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the
registered owner is the driver only 72% of the time. Without consideration for
any other shortcomings, over 1 in 4 tickets are issued to the wrong person!
HOW
MANY OTHER PEOPLE DO YOU ALLOW TO DRIVE YOUR CAR?!
3.
Even when you win, you lose!
Every time a driver receives a citation from a traffic camera,
they are faced with the decision to take time off work to fight the ticket, or
to just pay the fine. So either way, the driver loses.
YOU
DON’T LOSE – YOU JUST OBEY THE LAW NEXT TIME.
7.
Uses our money to feed out of state
Corporations
The two camera vendors that operate in Washington, Redflex (from Australia) and
American Traffic Solutions (from Arizona), receive an average of 50% of the
money that is generated by the cameras.
ARGH! ARIZONA IS GETTING SOME MONEY FROM WASHINGTON STATE!
4.
Leaves Motorists Defenseless
Motorists who receive photo tickets are at a severe disadvantage
to make a defense due to the weeks or months that may lapse before a driver is
served with a citation. Weeks or months after a “violation,” a driver is
unlikely to be able to recall the details of the“violation.” Furthermore,
drivers are unable to collect evidence to defend themselves because it is
unlikely that signs and road conditions are the same as they were when the
alleged violation occurred.
COLLECT
EVIDENCE? SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU HAD A REASON TO RUN THAT RED LIGHT?
5.
Less Safe
Multiple studies show an INCREASE of accidents with red light
and speed cameras.
Driving conditions on roads and freeways are made more dangerous
by interrupting the free flow of traffic as people respond to the presence of
cameras. The same goes at red light camera intersections where drivers slam on
their brakes to avoid tickets.
OH,
YEAH – NOW YOU ARE PENALIZING TAILGATERS. DON’T WANNA DO THAT.
6.
Lack of Audit and Oversight
There is no stated maintenance or audit program by any
government authority of the private camera vendors and their equipment and
processes to ensure reliability and accuracy.
OKAY,
THAN MAYBE GET SOME WORKING MAINTENANCE GOING.
7.
Uses our money to feed out of state
Corporations
The two camera vendors that operate in Washington, Redflex (from Australia) and
American Traffic Solutions (from Arizona), receive an average of 50% of the
money that is generated by the cameras.
ARGH! ARIZONA IS GETTING SOME MONEY FROM WASHINGTON STATE!
8.
Solutions to problems that don’t exist
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, there“hasn’t been a
serious pedestrian-vehicle accident in a school zone in Lakewood’s 13-year
history.” Yet, Lakewood has speed cameras in school zones to keep children
safe? Sounds like the kids were already safe.
GOSH,
THEN, WE BETTER WAIT UNTIL THERE IS A ‘SERIOUS” INCIDENT – WHY BOTHER TO KEEP A
HOMICIDE FROM HAPPENING?
9.
Conflict of Interest
* Traffic
cameras provide lawmakers with a personal financial incentive to protect
controversial traffic camera programs.
* Camera
vendors provide court
administration modules for judges, attorneys, and witnesses that present and
assess common dispute tactics and appropriate sound counter- measures required
for successful prosecution.
* Camera
vendors develop the violation
criteria that the cities use to determine what constitutes a violation.
YEAH, THE REAL REASON FOR ALL OF THIS IS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY, EH?
10.
Denial of Due Process
The Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause gives the accused the
right to be confronted by witnesses against them. With cameras, the driver is
never confronted by a police officer ticketing him. The accused are not being
provided with the opportunity to cross-examine or subpoena all camera equipment
operators along with anyone who handled the evidence or the officer who issued
the citation. Nor are they being provided with the opportunity to examine the
design and operation of the equipment itself.
FOR CRIPES SAKE... THIS IS FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION!
11.
Photo Enforcement Vendors Are Not Trustworthy
* Arizona Secretary of
State, Jan Brewer, confirmed that Redflex documents used in court to convict
motorists of speeding in Lafayette, Louisiana had
been falsified.
* Many cities have all been caught
shortening yellow lights to increase profits from red light cameras.
* In Italy, a speed camera
company was caught in a fraud scandal that involved 109 officials and
contractors.
* In January 2009, the makers of
the T-Red brand of red light cameras were similarly arrested for fraud after
prosecutors found motorists were being trapped at intersections with short
yellows and improperly certified equipment
* Redflex violated federal law by
using radar units that were not FCC certified.
* Redflex employees have been
charged with assault, child pornography, and extreme DUI (while driving a photo radar van).
They can observe your car, wife, and children and they can figure out where you
live. They have access to your DMV records.
I'M SORRY - THIS IS JUST GETTING SILLY (and Jan Brewer is our Governor now - you're dating your information).
12.
Invasion of Privacy
The cameras are high-resolution video devices that run 24 hours
a day. According to officer King with Arizona DPS, “We can just about zoom in
and see stuff on the dash.”
AND YOU CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEE WHAT'S ON MY DASHBOARD... WHICH IS IN PLAIN VIEW.
13. Affects Consumer Spending
and Tourism
Nationwide, cities have responded to threats from locals and out
of towners who have vowed to stop shopping in areas with photo enforcement by removing equipment.
GOSH, I'M GOING TO STOP SHOPPING IN AREAS THAT DON'T ENCOURAGE ME TO BREAK THE LAW.
14.
Criminal Activity Has Become a Civil Matter, Not a Crime
Local governments have skirted constitutional protections by
classifying speed camera tickets as civil, not criminal violations. Efforts to
challenge the tickets based on constitutional grounds that appear to have a
chance at succeeding are simply dismissed in favor of the driver, swept under
the rug by local governments before they can be fully adjudicated.
YEAH, BECAUSE TRAFFIC TICKETS SHOULD BE CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTED.
15.
Lucrative Photo Enforcement Favored Over Engineering
Cities rarely conduct engineering studies to determine why a
particular intersection experiences more accidents. Officials incorrectly
assume that bad drivers flock to these intersections and that their behavior
can be cured with the threat of tickets received weeks after the infraction. In
reality, the same drivers are present in all intersections, and if a particular
intersection has a high accident rate the reason is undoubtedly due to flaws or
problems that can be corrected with proper traffic engineering. Such measures
may include: adding signs, making signs clearer, more visible signs, changing
road striping and indicators, adjusting light timing, and increasing signals
more visibility. Until an engineering study is done, it is impossible to
understand the underlying factors and thus impossible to objectively evaluate
possible solutions.
EH?!
16.
Doesn’t remove any immediate threat to citizens like drunks, reckless drivers,
or speeders.
NO, IT ALSO DOESN'T SOLVE PORNOGRAPHY OR BANK ROBBERIES - SO WE BETTER NOT TRY IT, RIGHT?
17.
Creates distrust and animosity for local officials, law enforcement
departments, and makes a mockery of our judicial system.
YEAH,.... RIGHT
Things that take the time that I never seem to have while at home, and yet have in huge globs while on vacation. 
