There are 24 communities in New Jersey that currently have red light cameras that automatically snap pictures of vehicles if they pass through an intersection during a red light. Supposedly, New Jersey lawmakers and local officials claim that the reason for the cameras is to increase safety, but the real reason may have more to do with the substantial revenues they bring in.
A part of me hopes that New Jersey officials are actually just corrupt and looking to line their own pockets because that would mean that at least they’re good at something, even if that something is crime. The alternative would be that they are actually trying to make roads safer, which would mean that they’re so bad at their job that not only did they not make the roads safer, they actually made them more dangerous.
And the intersections in question are without a doubt more dangerous. The total number of crashes increased from 577 crashes in a year without the cameras to 582 crashes in a year with the cameras. Not only that, but the crashes were actually more severe, causing an additional $1.2 million in damages.
It looks like someone is finally calling New Jersey out for their red-light ticketing machines. Sen. Michael Doherty of Washington is currently working on a bill that would put supporters of the red light cameras to the test.
The bill would take money out of the picture. Any revenue from tickets issued due to evidence collected by the automatic cameras would go to the state’s Highway Safety Fund instead of into municipal budgets.
Sen. Doherty seems to think that local officials won’t continue to use red light cameras if they can’t get a cut of the money.
“How many towns and local officials will continue to demand the opportunity to install red-light cameras … if their share of ticket revenues is cut off? My guess is very few.”
Next Story: Bill Would Let Local Police Keep Half of Tickets For Themselves
Source: landline
Their is nothing more attractive to states for revenue then sin taxes and tickets. People can’t obey the laws of the road and they know that. Yes, red light infractions do cause accidents but the response to this are tickets and token educational penalties that do nothing to reduce them. If you wanted to reduce them take their license away for periods of time.
Red light cameras are nothing but revenue generators. In my own state I’ve seen intersections where protected right turn lights were removed in favour of making all traffic stop for a right turn on red with a camera to enforce it. If traffic entering an intersection from your right to make a left turn in a no U-turn zone, there is no reason for there NOT to be a protected right turn light for your lane. Here in Virginia, they’ve been praised by municipalities as a “force multiplier for safety”. In fact, the perceived safety of preventing illegal turns has been nullified by the baseless fear of drivers that have not taken the time to research the system. I’ve narrowly avoided accidents with drivers who stop on GREEN for fear of the cameras, and others that slam on the brakes the minute they see a light turn yellow, even when they’re only a meter or so from entering the intersection and have no legitimate reason to stop. If a municipality wishes to stop red light offenders in the name of safety, put a marked law enforcement unit on the corner. An actual human officer is capable of immediately evaluating the situation and immediately pursuing and citing the OFFENDER, rather than the owner of the vehicle, who may or may not be the actual one driving. This is the true answer, but instead a municipality is more than happy to buy into the more convenient solution of an automated system that requires no pension or vacation time, and guarantees steady income without the same level of risk that comes with normal due process.