EDITORIAL: Traffic cams prove value to life and limb
By The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Granted, that's not exactly a fair question. But it's the reality reflected in statistics: Not only do the number of accidents decrease at intersections after red-light cameras are installed, the type of accident changes.
The number of relatively minor rear-end fender benders sometimes may increase -- especially in the period just after a camera is installed and drivers brake suddenly to avoid running the light. But the T-bone crashes that are most likely to kill someone are significantly reduced.
As
The intersection at South 84th and Hosmer streets is the biggest success story, with a 55 percent decrease in collisions. Close behind is
As critics like to point out, the camera program does generate revenue through the
What's left over goes to the city and is spent making traffic safety improvements and paying the salaries of traffic enforcement officers. Those are worthy uses for the revenue.
As for being a "cash cow," critics should understand that the more successful the program is in decreasing red-light running, the less money comes into city coffers because the revenue to the camera company is a fixed cost. And courts have ruled that the cameras are not an invasion of privacy, as there is no expectation of privacy when driving on a public street.
Hundreds of lives could be saved each year if more cities made use of cameras to enforce the law at intersections with a history of red-light running. It's very likely some people in
___
(c)2013 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Visit The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) at www.TheNewsTribune.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 456 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News