Cameras coming to Santa Monica?

Back in the day, Santa Monica resisted installing red light cameras. But drivers are just getting so bad that even here those civil liberties concerns are fading away. The City Council voted this week to study bringing the cameras to Santa Monica, according to the Argonaut:

"Based upon my personal observation, I'm very concerned about the number of drivers in Santa Monica who are running red lights," [Councilman Bob] Holbrook said. "It has almost reached the point where, personally speaking, I won't even enter the intersection if I'm the first car in line at a green light until I've looked both ways to make sure there's not somebody coming through, because often there is." .... He added that he had also spoken with Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian, and that Pasadena has "installed three or four of these [cameras] in their city, and they've markedly reduced red light running and made safer intersections."

Should Santa Monica joined the crowd and install red-light cameras? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out

Comments

[Kate]

I feel like it's gotten harder to turn left in the past six months. Why? More and more people running the yellow, and even the red, when going straight ahead. The result is that people who try to turn left--particularly at, but not limited to, intersections that lack turn arrows--are stuck in the middle of the intersection after the light has changed. It's hard to get more than one or two left-turning cars through many intersections because so many people are determined to make the light, even if they've missed it.

Yes, the law says that the left-turning driver is responsible for being in the intersection after the light has changed. But even the traffic officers I see do little to facilitate left turns. There's the law, and then there's the reality of driving in L.A. People seem to be getting angrier and more self-absorbed behind the wheel. I'm not sure who benefits from that.

So if cameras inspire people to be a little more cautious as they race for a light, I have trouble seeing what the problem is with that. Having to stop at an intersection and let other cars go through is an inconvenience? Get over it.

[Jane]

Anyone who drives defensively and is the first car in line at a green light will NEVER enter the intersection without looking to make sure nobody is coming through. Intersections with lights should be treated as four-way stops, at best. Nothing new about any of this.