Editorials

Red-light cameras work elsewhere, and could work here, too

TBO.com
Published: January 9, 2013

Any time the question of red-light cameras being installed in Highlands County is mentioned, even in passing, a lot of heated comments are made. It hasn't happened, and we're not aware of any officials considering it, but in Tampa, the lights are paying off nicely.

According to a Tampa Tribune story, traffic accidents are down substantially in the intersections where the cameras are at work. The crash count dropped from 159 before the cameras to 111 at a dozen intersections. Besides the fewer accidents, more money that was projected has poured into the city's coffers as a result of tickets issued due to people running red lights.

Red-light cameras are controversial because some people believe it is an invasion of privacy to have cameras in public intersections. The argument against that is if drivers don't break the law, they have nothing to worry about.

We've never been against red-light cameras. Most parking lots at big stores have cameras mounted throughout, monitoring what's going on. The inside of stores and many government facilities also have cameras, as do some patrol cars. The point is that most of the places we go these days are under video surveillance, especially in bigger cities and foreign countries. It's a way of life — whether we know it or not.

The money made off the lights is less the point than the safety it provides. Side-impact crashes have dropped in Tampa in the intersections where these cameras are mounted. These "T-bone" crashes are dangerous and people are killed or maimed frequently in these types of accidents.

After paying the state and the red-light camera company, Tampa still brought in $2.6 million into its general fund, which is more than the $2 million they had figured. That amount will likely drop as fewer people run red lights and get tickets, but revenue generation isn't the main reason for these anyway.

We hope Highlands County and city officials consider red-light cameras as a way to make our intersections safer and to save on manpower monitoring them. We don't believe the privacy issue overrides public safety when it comes to this, and, if nothing else, it's a debate we should be having.