Red-Light Cameras Are Working In Amarillo

A few years ago several Texas cities jumped on the bandwagon and put up some red-light cameras. The cameras were viewed as a way to make dangerous intersections safer by letting the public know that they could get a ticket for running a red light even in the absence of an actual police officer. Since then it has become a hot political topic in the state. Two cities, Lubbock and Houston, installed the cameras but then took them down after only a short time. It makes me wonder if a few people with political power got ticketed.

But here in Amarillo the city commission stayed the course. They installed the red-light cameras in the five most dangerous intersections of the city, and never considered removing them. And it is working.  In the fiscal year that ended in September 2009 there were 69 accidents at those intersections. The following year the number of accidents had dropped to 41 -- a forty percent drop. That's a huge effect, and it can be directly contributed to the red-light cameras (because the number of accidents at intersections without the cameras remained constant for both years).

In addition, the cameras have brought in about $2.1 million since being installed in 2008. The money not going to pay for the cameras operation has gone to improve traffic safety and to fund regional emergency rooms and services (which is exactly what the city said they would do with the money).

To put it bluntly, the red-light cameras have been very successful in preventing accidents (which is why they were installed). And less accidents means less deaths and injuries. That's a very good thing. Maybe it's time to consider installing the cameras in other city intersections -- at least the really busy ones.

Lawmaker Wants To Outlaw "Red-Light" Cameras

The city government in Lubbock recently rescinded their contract for red-light cameras in their city. These cameras take a picture of cars running traffic lights that have turned red, so the owner can be sent a civil traffic ticket for breaking the law and endangering fellow citizens.

The city said they discontinued use of the cameras because accidents had risen in their city after they had been installed.They make it sound like they had created a more dangerous situation for motorists.

I don't believe it. While there may have been a rise in rear-end collisions, I believe the number of these collisions would have gone back down after the public became used to the cameras.

In addition, the rear-end collisions are not nearly as serious and life-threatening as the side-impact collisions caused by people running red lights at a higher speed. I think the "rise in accidents" was just an excuse.

I think they had begun to get negative feedback from citizens opposed to the lights, and these elected officials began to worry about keeping their jobs in the next election. Sadly, they considered their jobs more important than citizen safety.

Now we hear from John Kanelis of the Amarillo Globe-Republican, that a Lubbock lawmaker wants to outlaw the red-light cameras all across the state. Rep. Carl Isett wants to introduce a law in the 2009 legislature that would outlaw the cameras in every Texas city.

Isett (pictured above) listed a couple of reasons for wanting the camera ban. First he says they are a violation of a driver's privacy. This makes no sense. The cameras don't take a picture of the driver, but only of the back license plate of the car. That plate is already hanging out there for anyone to see. How can taking a picture of it be a violation of privacy rights?

Isett also said the cameras were just a "money trap" for the city. I don't know how every city handles the funds raised in this manner, but here in Amarillo every cent of that money will be spent to make our streets safer to drive on. That's the kind of "money trap" that I approve of.

Isett's hometown has already banned the cameras. He should let the other cities in Texas make up their own mind. His opinion is neither needed nor wanted.