First and most significant to Houstonians was the dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought by Keep Houston Silent/Safe, the front group for the Arizona-based red light camera company. The suit, which sought to remove the Charter Amendment to Ban Red Light Cameras from Houston’s November ballot, was dismissed after Keep Houston Safe backed out of the lawsuit. Perhaps they recognized that the political maneuver lacked any legal merit and that it had proven to be a losing option for them in the arena of public opinion. The obvious pandering to minorities was met with derision and scorn from opinion makers throughout Houston on both the left and the right.
The Citizens Against Red Light Cameras, which had joined the defense of Houstonians’ right to vote on the issue, held a press conference on the steps of the Federal Courthouse and were there to answer the media’s questions (click here to view MyFoxHouston.com report). However Andy Taylor and the Keep Houston Silent political spin machine has been nowhere to be found for several weeks. In addition to not making themselves available to media to explain their reason for dropping the lawsuit that cost both City and Federal tax dollars to defend, they have also refused to debate CARLC spokespersons on local radio regarding the dismissal of the lawsuit.
Perhaps they were distracted from events taking place elsewhere in this country that should have an impact on the vote in Houston in November. First were two more reports that prove Red Light Cameras INCREASE accidents: Los Angeles, CA and Winnipeg, Canada. The first link is a story from Los Angeles, California that contains two keys points to share with your friends and neighbors that may as of yet be undecided on the issue of Red Light Cameras.
LOS ANGELES REPORT:
a) Accidents are up where red light cameras were installed. This most recent and comprehensive report proves what we at CARLC haven been saying for years – red light cameras are dangerous. If there is any doubt about the safety issue as it relates to red light cameras, the answer is to TAKE THEM DOWN. The end result is that the cameras make our street less safe. Truly independent studies prove this every time. This most recent report confirms the RICE UNIVERSITY study that said the same about the Red Light Cameras Program in Houston – they caused an increase in accidents at the intersections where they were installed.
b) Red light cameras are not placed at the correct intersections. In Los Angeles, as in Houston, they were not placed at intersections where the most accidents had occurred (which would be logical IF reducing accidents were the reason for the cameras), but instead were placed where ATS and the city could make the most money from them. Many of these intersections are mistimed or poorly designed, which is what causes the high violation rates. More violations equal more money for the camera company and city, but instead of correcting these problems, they put up red light cameras, which have been shown to cause EVEN MORE ACCIDENTS! Again, your Government is risking your safety so they can take more of your money.
WINNIPEG STUDY:
The Winnipeg study is perhaps even more interesting since Canadian Law allows the inclusion of accident data gathered from insurance companies, (which gives an even clearer picture of how these programs are NOT working). In Houston, the city was offered a system for FREE that could potentially react to road conditions to prevent accidents at intersections (though obviously red light cameras would still violate our constitutional rights and be a tax upon the people). The program used a speed monitor and camera to extend the yellow at one direction and delay the green in the other direction, if it detected someone about to run the red light. This may have actually prevented some collisions. But the system perhaps would have worked too well, because it would also have reduced violations, which would mean fewer fines. Houston knowingly chose a flawed system that (unsurprisingly) INCREASED accidents at the intersections with red light cameras. In fact, the City of Houston’s own study showed that red light cameras literally doubled the accidents at intersections where they were installed. The city was and still is more interested in your money than in your safety.
All these reports of increased accidents at intersections with Red Light Cameras are even more disturbing when you take into account the fact that across the nation accidents are generally down. Accidents are generally down because of two reasons. First, people are driving a little less because of economic concerns, and second, vehicle safety has steadily improved through technological advancements. Proponents of the cameras might try to suggest our roadways are safer and imply that the cameras are the reason why, but nothing could be further from the truth. Because at intersections with Red Light Cameras accidents are increasing, so the Red Light Camera companies are knowingly lying to us – a position the Red Light Camera companies seem to be used to.
Fines Ordered Returned
The second bit of disturbing news for the Red Light Camera profiteers is that their profits are quickly evaporating away. In nearby New Orleans, Louisiana, a judge has just ordered that that all of the fines collected thus far must be returned, because the program violates the city charter (click to view article on WWL-AM870). This is not the first time a court has ordered the fines returned to citizens wrongly charged and convicted. Its happened before and may be soon happening again in yet another southern state (click to view report in Daytona Beach News-Journal). In Orlando, Florida, the same thing happened. The cameras were found to have violated state law, and all fines collected thus far must be returned.
To conclude, the City’s Red Light Camera program is a danger to us all, as we have shown since we first began this campaign. They increase accidents, violate your rights, and take your money. And this week as taxpayers we have had to shoulder the burden of defending a frivolous lawsuit that was dismissed without even an argument made, and we may soon find ourselves paying back money our government has already spent. The cameras must go.
Visit Citizen Against Red Light Cameras for more information.