Civil liberty vs red light cameras

For years, Santa Monica has resisted the urge to add red light cameras, which some in the city liken to Big Brother watching you. But the the Lookout reports that could be about to change:

Revisiting an issue rebuffed years ago because of concerns for civil liberties, the City Council voted Tuesday to explore installing cameras at Santa Monica intersections to catch red-light runners red-handed. The council decided to move ahead after advances in picture taking and the State's legal system zoomed in on an answer to privacy issues, including concerns that shots could include those other than the driver. "What has changed since this was before us years ago, is state law and technology," said Council member Bob Holbrook, who placed the item back on the agenda.

Do red-light cameras violate our rights? Or a good safety tool. Hit the COMMENT button and speak your mind

Comments

[Charles Quinn]

Red light cameras violate the 14th amendment in the area of equal protection. California allows some drivers to drive with no plate on their vehicle (new cars for instance). How is a red light camera ticket issued to those drivers? If no ticket is issued then California is making a special class of drivers who are exempt.

Are drivers from states with no front plate issued tickets? Is this another special class? Are motorcyclists with full helmets and darkened shields issued tickets? Is this another special class?

If an officer was there to observe the traffic then all those above could and most likely would be issued a ticket. The cameras cannot and most likely do not issue those above a ticket. Where is "equal protection" in the above enforcement when a red light camera is used?

[Charles Quinn]

Red light cameras violate the 14th amendment in the area of equal protection. California allows some drivers to drive with no plate on their vehicle (new cars for instance). How is a red light camera ticket issued to those drivers? If no ticket is issued then California is making a special class of drivers who are exempt.

Are drivers from states with no front plate issued tickets? Is this another special class? Are motorcyclists with full helmets and darkened shields issued tickets? Is this another special class?

If an officer was there to observe the traffic then all those above could and most likely would be issued a ticket. The cameras cannot and most likely do not issue those above a ticket. Where is "equal protection" in the above enforcement when a red light camera is used?

[martin martini]

Just another revenue raiser for our supposedly 'liberal' city.
This should nicely supplement the revenue from the city's ubiquitous three wheel parking officers.
With most of Santa Monica in gridlock at rush hour this means even more dollars for City Hall.
What will we get in return?
Removal of metered parking at City Hall or the Promenade?
Doubt it.

[R. Russell]

I don't see why smart street technology is not deployed instead of red light cameras. In that case, you would not have the safety issue of people running red lights, because the system would not turn the light red in the first place until all cars had passed. I am sure that most red light runners could be curtailed that way, as well as the fatal collisions. What red light cameras do is generate revenue. Some people thought that stocks in the public square was an effective deterrent too.

[Fred Nolans]

The real issue here is that localities often use and abuse these cameras to generate revenue, not to tackle safety issues (e.g, by setting the yellow light too short, against the advice of safety experts).

Always funny also to see Santa Monica compromise on its politics when it finds its liberal ways don't work in reality (anyone remember when the homeless were allowed to live in the parks there 24 hrs a day instead of only during daylight hours?).

[TrafficBulldog.org]

When you run a red light in public, how is that a privacy issue?

In Los Angeles, it is pretty common to see people running the red light.

Should we be concerned with the (bogus claim of) privacy rights of those that endager the rest of us in open public?

Red Light Cameras work.

Now if we could get the Red Light Lag time increased by even 1 second so that those people trying to complete their left turn at the end of the light cycle can have a little more time to clear the intersection. That would go a long way to reduce green light road rage.