Caught in Traffic

Traffic cameras are not a fun first-hand experience; especially in the District of Columbia. Tom Knott's column in today's Washington Times made me think a little more about the issue today.

The truth is that traffic cameras are not safe in either red-light camera or speed camera varieties that they have in the District. Traffic along New York Avenue and the 3rd Street, in particular, slows to a crawl as vehicles rapidly decelrate to the 45 MPH speed limit in and around the camera zone. This causes a dangerous situation of cars slamming on their brakes, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Even if there are no accidents, traffic comes to screaching halt, creating other additional problems for neighborhoods, commuters, and the environment.

Red-light cameras are no picnic either. I was the victim of one in Arlington County, Virginia a few years ago. I had a choice; take the risk of running the light, or potentially being rear-ended by a tractor trailer. I made the safe choice and wound up with a ticket. Other people do not make the safe choice, slam on their brakes, and causes a nightmare of problems.

Maryland has several jurisdictions with red-light cameras, but no speed cameras yet. Thankfully, Governor Ehrlich recently vetoed a bill that would have allowed speed cameras in Montgomery County. He vetoed a similar statewide bill in 2003. His extensive veto message to Speaker Busch was especially on target: in many aspects, notably dealing with public safety

Although proponents assert this bill will improve traffic safety, the evidence on this issue is incomplete. There has been little study of the effectiveness of speed cameras on improving traffic safety. At present, the Transportation Research Board is undertaking a comprehensive study of this issue. On a related issue, Virginia recently refused to reauthorize the use of red light cameras based on a study showing that the use of such cameras increased the risk of accidents. Therefore, it is appropriate to await the results of a thorough study before concluding that speed cameras improve traffic safety.

But the Governor's message also talks about the real reason for these cameras:

The Fiscal and Policy Note to House Bill 443 states that for Montgomery County “revenues would increase significantly and expenditures would also increase.” In fiscal year 2006 revenues are estimated to be $6.3 million, with expenditures of $4.6 million. As the experience in the District of Columbia clearly shows, once a jurisdiction begins to use the cameras and receives the increased revenues, expanding the program becomes a logical progression. As the experience with the District of Columbia also shows, the rationale for the expansion may be purely monetary.

Traffic laws are already in place. We have police officers to enforce them. We do not need cameras watching over this aspect of our lives for the sole purpose of revenue enhancement, especially in the wake of the danger situations that these cameras create.