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Red Light Cameras: Nanny-State Nuisance Or Life-Saving Technology?
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 7, 2012
Modified Jan 7, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 7, 2012
Modified Jan 7, 2012
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We all cringed at the recently-released montage of nail-biting car crashes in New Jersey caused by drivers who run red lights. The company who provides the most red light cameras in the country, American Traffic Solutions, noted that 11 people were killed in the state in 2009 as a resulting of red-light running related collisions. But Monmouth County assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon believes that they're a scam. "They're ATMs in reverse—your money goes in and it never comes out," the Republican tells the Star-Ledger.
Scanlon went on to say that the cameras were supposed to prevent crashes, and that the drivers in the video "simply weren't aware they were going through a red light." However, as CBS notes, a recent survey showed that 77% of Garden State residents approve of red light cameras, and 56% say they change their behavior behind the wheel.
A spokesperson for ATS says they hope the video "brings to the light the dangers associated with red-light running and reinforces the need for motorists to slow down at intersections and obey traffic laws by stopping at red lights."
Tagged
monmouth county
nanny state
new jersey
red light cameras
republicans
traffic laws
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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