http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/opinions/x313369908/Road-safety-isn-t-a-top-priority-for-revenue-cameras

Road safety isn’t a top priority for ‘revenue cameras’

Westmont Progress Posted Mar 17, 2010 @ 02:11 PM

Westmont, IL —

We truly marvel at the ability of Westmont officials to analyze data in a creative way. Their justification for the continued use of red-light enforcement cameras at Naperville Road and Cass Avenue is intriguing, to say the least.

The cameras were installed at this intersection a year ago. Officials promised to review the program every six months, and they recently delivered on that pledge again.

The latest report showed that more than 5,400 potential infractions were reviewed from March 2009 through January 2010. Of the 1,661 violations cited — at a penalty of $100 each — 1,628 were for failure to make a complete stop at a red light before making a right-hand turn.

That means right-hand turn violations accounted for 98 percent of all citations in the program. Never mind that one study after another has shown that these infractions cause the least number of accidents.

So, there hasn’t been a noticeable decline in accidents at this intersection in the past year. This undermines the belief that red-light cameras increase safety on the roads.

But village officials chose to interpret the data from this program as progress gained in public safety rather than as merely a way to grab cash. They claimed the program is working because the number of violations cited has declined.

We find it very difficult to accept the reasons for continuing this program as well as the declaration that it should be expanded. The stats simply do not show that people are any safer on the road as a result.

In fact, the only thing that has increased from the use of red-light cameras is the revenue coming into the village coffers. Please drop the facade that this is about keeping people safe and admit that it’s all about the money.

We suggest that officials start calling these devices "revenue cameras."

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