This is my rant about why traffic intersection cameras are awesome and you should love them, and if you do not like them then you are stupid and wrong. You have been warned.
There is literally no coherent argument against having cameras at intersections that will take a snapshot and give you a ticket if you run a red light or a stop sign. There is not a single one. Moreover, if you complain about cameras at intersections that might give you a ticket for running a red light then you are deeply in danger of coming across as a cry-baby.
What are the arguments that I’ve heard?
1) Red Light Cameras cause more crashes
Let’s think this one through, shall we? You are driving so quickly, or you brake so late, that you cannot stop in time for the red light. But you do not want to go through the red light, because you know the camera there will give you a ticket. So you get into an accident.
The key problem here is that you are a bad driver. You were driving recklessly. If you were keeping the proper distance from the car in front of you, and going at an appropriate speed, then when that light turned yellow you could have stopped–as you are supposed to anyway–and everything would be fine.
The argument “Some people are such bad drivers that they can’t stop for red lights without getting into accidents” is one of the stupidest arguments I’ve ever heard. If you can’t learn to both a) stop for stop lights and b) not get into accidents at intersections, then you shouldn’t be driving.
2) Red Light Cameras are an invasion of privacy
If it can be seen from a camera on the street, then by definition it’s not private. People need to get over this moronic idea that being out-doors in a public place is somehow “private” just because they think people aren’t looking at them!
3) There is no certifiable witness to the supposed violation
It was recorded! The idea that “I did nothing wrong because nobody saw me do it” is childish logic. It’s like you’re saying “I didn’t steal the cookie if my mommy didn’t notice that I stole the cookie.”
Sorry, bro. You still stole the cookie. This is reality we live in, not logic-of-a-six-year-old world. Grow up.
4) Ticket recipients are not notified quickly after the offense
You still broke the law. See #3.
5) Red Light Cameras do nothing to prevent an accident from happening
So what???? If you run a red light or get into an accident, you broke the damn law. Pay the fine and deal with it. You want to NOT get a ticket? Drive more safely next time.
6) Red Light Cameras are not the most effective way of reducing red light violations
See #5
7) Red Light Cameras are used primarily to raise money, not improve safety
See #5
I had to get this off my chest. It’s a major pet peeve of mine, and it comes up periodically in conversations. In fact, just today a major radio talk show host was whining about it, primarily focusing on arguments #2 and #7.
Sorry, man. If you break the law, and you yell “not fair!” when you got caught simply because you didn’t think you would get caught, then you are nothing but a child.
There is no such thing as pleading “not guilty by virtue of nuh-uh!”
