No Robo-Cams!

There is a move afoot to allow traffic lights camera to record red light violations and then the violator would be sent a ticket. The Hartford Courant has an Editorial about the cameras this morning…

Red-Light Cameras Keep Drivers Honest

Of the several stupid and dangerous things that a person can do with a car, running a red light is one of the worst. The all-too-common practice imperils pedestrians and bicyclists, and can cause particularly dangerous right-angle crashes.

A coalition of state and local officials including New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., police and safety activists are introducing a bill that would allow towns to monitor traffic lights with cameras.

This is the third time the "red-light camera bill" has been introduced in the legislature. It should pass.

They go on to say the cameras only take pictures of the license plate (Hmmm… I wonder how many people will have dirty license plates now.) and that you would be able to challenge the ticket in court. They said the ticket would not cause you to get any points against your driver license, they will only be fined and it will not be reported to your insurance company. They close the editorial by saying, “What is the downside?”

Well the downside is that the punishment is not immediate. When you are stopped by a police officer there is a direct interaction, run red light, get a ticket and there is an immediate behavior adjustment. With a robo-cam there is no immediate feedback, run a red light, run a red light, run a red light… and a month later you get a dozen tickets.

Contesting the photograph will be nearly impossible, how would you remember the circumstances, let alone prove what happen during the particular instance.

The other day is was driving down Trout Brook in W. Hartford, I was following a trailer truck (I wasn’t tailgating, I was about 3 – 4 car lengths in back of the truck and we were going 35 mph) since the lights are on the opposite side of the corner, I didn’t see the red light until the truck drove through the intersection. If I slammed on my brakes to stop, the car tailgating me would have struck my car. If a cop saw it, he would have been able to make a judgment call right there. If a robo-camera took a picture, all it would have gotten in the picture was me running the red light. Then four or five weeks later, I would get a ticket, it would be hard to recall the incident over a month later and then argue it in court.

We do not need robo-cams.