I’ve had a few students in Defensive Driving that have received red light camera tickets and speeding tickets by camera in Arizona.  Do you think red light cameras are a good thing?  Some people do and others don’t, the ones who don’t are usually the ones who think the yellow light means “SPEED UP!!”  But come on, what’s next??  What if the municipal, state or federal government wanting to install cameras in our vehicles just to make sure we are not doing anything illegal.  OK, I know that’s not even in the same ball park, but what if??

Back in 2007, Richland Hills, Texas shorten the yellow light time from 3.5 seconds to 3 seconds at one of their intersections that has a red light camera.  In June of 2007 the intersection at Booth Calloway Road and Glennview Drive had 1,440 citations for running the red light.  In July, they had 1,911 and in the month of August – 1,387.  After the local Fox 4 news ran the story, the city changed it to 3.6 seconds, guess how many citations they had in September…….321.  Redflex, the company who makes these cameras and the 35 cities in Texas who use them are making a killing!  Who scratches who’s back??

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for what ever makes the roads safer.  Maybe it’s supply and demand, if we weren’t running the red lights, there wouldn’t be a need for the cameras. Do your part, no more running red lights! Next time you go through an intersection or the light turns green, look both ways….it just might save your life!  Let me know what you think.

Until next week, be safe and take care.

Danny Keaton