Watch out for those Red Light Cameras!! at Fix Your Desktop

Lately I’ve been noticing quite a bit more traffic cameras in the San Fernando Valley. I started to wonder why they were suddenly appearing and also how much they must cost. As I watched how much work and time went in to installing, not to mention paying for these cameras I got suspicious. As it turns out according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, these cameras can cost almost $100,000 per intersection to install. Wow! I can only imagine how they plan to recoup these costs…

Well as it turns out, these Red Light Cameras make MILLIONS of dollars. And not all of it goes to the city. In fact, quite a large percentage of it goes to the companies that own the cameras. Sounds like a sweet deal to me. In fact, some people have found that these Red Light Cameras designed to make intersections safer, are being placed not at the most dangerous intersections (where most fatalities occur) but at the one where there are the most red light violations = more $$$

So what’s the problem with ticketing red light runners and making a few bucks for the city in the process?

Well I have no problem with that, except that many counties have been caught, shortening the yellow light, AND “mistakenly” didn’t sync up the cameras. Some have cities/counties have lost in court due to how shady the setup and use of these camera systems can be. And of course the companies that own the cameras get a piece of the action as well, they get a percentage of EVERY fine levied. So the more fines given, the more money made. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.

Also, there may be a chance that the person driving does not get point on their record, but the person who the car is registered to does. So be careful who you loan your car to.

For me the choice is easy. I slow down and try not to run those short yellow lights. But sometimes you can’t help it. You’re going to fast (below the speed limit of course) to slow down before the light changes, and maybe the camera goes off too quickly? Regardless of the reason, you get your picture taken and in a few weeks a new ticket shows up at your door (as much as $340).

So I was watching the news and as it turns out there is a way to protect yourself from these suspicious lights. There is this spray that you put on your license plate that makes it invisible to the cameras when they flash a picture. I’ve seen these ads before but thought they were just nonsense. Until I saw the local news explaining how law enforcement is angry at their use. So much so that California is soon to pass a law where you can’t buy these products. Well the nice thing about this spray is it’s impossible to see with the naked eye. So… if it ever does become illegal…. well you get the point. The point is… ex post facto no? I mean it’s not illegal NOW. So if they make illegal, then you can just wash it off right?

So protect yourself from dubious Red Light cameras any way you can. Best bet is to slow down when the little red hand stops flashing for the crosswalk. But I’m going to be sure I don’t get falsely ticketed by the companies who make a buck out of cheating me.

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