Editorial: The problem with automated traffic enforcement

A red light camera cluster in Long Beach, CA

I have a serious hate-hate relationship with the idea of automated traffic enforcement. I hate the fact that safety is abdicated to the all mighty dollar. I hate the fact that despite just about every major independent traffic study demonstrating that automated enforcement actually results in more accidents, municipalities still use automated enforcement because they have adapted their budgets to count upon that stream of revenue. I hate the fact that the very presence of automated enforcement often contributes further to congestion as the presence of signs even hinting at the possibility of cameras makes people drive like their IQs have been cut in half. The truth is that automated enforcement does not work as a traffic calming or driving safety measure. Many municipalities are finally starting to wise up to that fact and some have even started to remove their traffic enforcement cameras when the revenue promised by the companies that install and manage the cameras never actually materializes and additional administrative costs are incurred by people fighting the tickets.

News: Legislation Proposed for a Federal Ban on Traffic Enforcement Cameras

Image courtesy of USAToday

I am not yet sure what to make of this, but earlier this month, Ed Perlmutter a legislator from the state of Colorado, proposed legislation to put in place a federal ban on the use of traffic enforcement cameras, including both red light and speed cameras. The motivation comes from the belief that the cameras are not used in the interest of public safety, but rather to fill the coffers of local municipalities to the detriment of the pocketbooks of local drivers. In the city of Denver, traffic enforcement cameras have netted more than $34 million in revenue. Having had my share of experience with these cameras while living in DC, I can certainly attest to the fact that I am no fan, but a full-on federal ban might be a bridge too far.

News: Woman ticketed in Maryland for going 2 MPH under the speed limit

The title is a little misleading, but a woman in Maryland was ticketed for going 63 MPH in a 65 MPH zone due to the fact that she was driving under the speed limit in the leftmost lane of a freeway. Her reasoning at the time was that it was windy and she was taking extra precautions and driving carefully. However, her  actions may have actually posed a greater danger to drivers around her as they are forced to have to treat her as a rolling chicane and go around her. What she should have done was to keep moving right until she was in a flow of traffic that matched her desired speed or was in the right-most lane.

Most states have laws requiring drivers to stay right unless passing or designate the left-most lane as a passing lane. However, it seems that most American drivers completely lack the lane discipline to follow these rules or simply are ignorant of their existence and it is nice to see them enforced every once in a while. I agree with the actions of the ticketing officer and hope that most people have the sense of mind to see how forcing other drivers to go around a slower-moving object is more dangerous than if that slower-moving were not there in the first place. When I drive on any divided highway, I make an extra conscious effort to monitor my mirrors and to move over at the first safe opportunity when the traffic behind me is moving faster than I am. To me, it just makes sense to get out of the way.

Tell us what you think about this situation and if you exercise good lane discipline while driving.