Do Red Light Cameras Enhance Your Driving Safety in League City, TX?
A:
League City, TX accident attorney points to a recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The Group has studied the question of whether red light cameras are increasing your safety, or just increasing revenues to municipal governments and private red light camera vendors. Their study has found that government contracts with red light camera vendors tend to favor contract fee issues over safety issues.
Some communities like Suffolk County in Long Island, NY divert as much as half of the red light camera revenues to the private red light camera vendors. Other contracts have established a monthly fee. In effect, the municipality must meet a monthly quota of tickets and ticket revenues to pay their fee.
Under the standard red light camera agreement with private camera vendors, traffic violations captured by the cameras get reviewed by the municipality, which decides whether to issue a citation in each case. But requirements to meet a monthly fee agreement in today's tight budgetary environment can influence that decision.
The IIHS maintains that red light cameras save more than 100 lives each year. Other studies have shown that motorists aware of red light camera intersections cause more accidents by slamming on their brakes to avoid a ticket. So the number of League City, TX accident injuries may actually be on the increase because of red light cameras.
In addition, the private vendors of red light camera services have formed lobby groups that work to influence traffic laws in their favor. For instance, they killed a bill in Florida that would have extended the amount of time that lights stay yellow before turning red.
The camera vendors also bankroll nonprofit organizations that appear to be grassroots nonprofit organizations, but which actually use their influence to motivate increased support of red light camera operations. One such organization is the National Coalition for Safer Roads.
And League City, TX red light camera citations don't give you the opportunity to face your accuser or defend your rights. This League City, TX accident attorney questions their value in enhancing your safety on the roads. The ultimate purpose of the red light cameras seems to be mostly about generating revenues for their vendors and for the municipalities that use them.
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