A new report by the Arizona Public Interest Research Group says that the use of red light and speed traffic cameras produces a conflict between profits and safety.
The group says that payments to such companies such as Redflex and American Traffic Solutions are often based on a percentage of fines collected or the number of tickets written. This can create an incentive to write more tickets. Sometimes traffic camera contracts are written so that cities are prevented from retaining control over traffic policy decisions that might actually improve public safety. For example, PIRG says intersections can be made safer by longer yellow lights. But some contracts specifically forbid such actions.
Public News Service reports that companies spend a lot of money on lobbyists and political committees that work to defeat laws and ballot measures that would restrict or ban the cameras. PIRG says Redflex Camera Systems has bragged about their ability to to keep a ballot measure to ban the cameras off the Arizona ballot in 2010.
The jury is still out on the claim that traffic cameras make the roads safer. Some cities report a reduction in accidents while others report an increase. Still others report a decrease in accidents at first and then an increase.
Peoria, Avondale and Tempe have canceled their traffic camera contracts.
Globe has been using Redflex cameras since April. Last week the Miami Town Council voted unanimously to reject the use of Reflex cameras.
Read the complete report at arizonapirg.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment