The idea seemed good at first: Cities would install “red light cameras” at high-risk intersections, in hopes of slowing down traffic as a deterrent. Such cameras could capture irrefutable evidence that a car ran a red light, while displaying its license number. The drivers then could be ticketed by mail.

The only trouble was, traffic still didn’t tend to slow down until lights turned “yellow,” at which point some drivers began hitting their brakes instead of pressing through, for fear of getting a ticket via a red light camera, while other drivers — speeding and tailgating — hit them from behind.

Indeed, there’s a chance car accidents actually have increased at some intersections since red light cameras were installed. And if so, that’s a problem. But is it the cameras’ fault? And should so many citizens be up in arms because cities reap fines for red light violations caught on camera?

Such logic seems to imply that no traffic fines ever should be imposed, even for clear and evident violations. But how else can punishment for traffic violations be administered? Cities have to impose punishments in some way, and besides, fines can be used to pay for city services. Yet municipalities are being cast as the bad guys while reckless motorists continue to cause car accidents.

Regardless of the reasons, animosity toward red light cameras is climbing in America, almost 20 years after the first models were introduced.

So far, seven states have banned red light cameras, and if they existed they were taken down. Those states are Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Also banning the devices have been two cities in Ohio and one — College Station — in Texas.

Elsewhere in Texas, the Houston, Dallas and San Antonio metro areas all have red light cameras — for now.

In Florida, some motorists are filing lawsuits against use of the cameras by taking an unusual approach. They’re claiming the cameras are unconstitutional, since they require motorists to prove their innocence rather than requiring local governments to prove their guilt. Good luck with that.

Evidence is mixed as to whether red light cameras are decreasing traffic accidents, or are actually spurring accident increases. Worst case scenarios involve some motorists hitting the brakes while others — following too closely — ram into them. But in that case, doesn’t the blame lie with speeding motorists who follow too closely? The law, after all, is the law.

Some studies of intersections with red light cameras have yielded conflicting results. In Houston, research by Rice University and the Texas Transportation Institute showed that accidents increased at many intersections with red light cameras. But another study by TTI and the Texas Department of Transportation showed that accidents at such intersections dropped by 30 per cent.

Independent of correlations between cameras and accidents, let’s not forget that while cameras are a constant, drivers are not. Some drivers still have the impulse to speed up when they approach a green light that turns yellow. Others, perhaps more dutiful since they learned of red light cameras, might slow down.

The bottom line is that motorists need to obey speed limits, rules of the road and traffic signals. And they shouldn’t differentiate between intersections known to have red light cameras and intersections which do not. Safe driving concerns basic truths we were taught to respect in drivers education. Why is that so hard to do now?

Don’t blame running red lights and getting tickets on the technology that enforces a law. That’s just an excuse for bad driving. If you clearly break a law, accept responsibility. Then slow down and drive more safely next time.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, even before red light cameras emerged, running red lights was the leading cause of urban crashes. If you don’t run lights, you won’t cause such crashes — and you won’t get tickets, no matter how they’re administered.

Playing the blame game distracts from the root of the problem: Drivers cause car crashes, not cameras.

Jim S. Adler & Associates supports safe driving efforts and fights for the financial recovery of those injured by other drivers’ negligence.

Share on Facebook