Despite public sentiment, new study shows red light cameras save lives
Across the country, Americans bemoan the idea of having red light cameras in their hometowns. But according to a new study, getting rid of them may have fatal consequences. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released a new study this week making the case for keeping red light cameras around. Researchers from the IIHS looked at red light camera programs in 79 large U.S. cities and found they saved nearly 1,300 lives through 2014. According to the data, shutting down such programs costs lives, with the rate of fatal red-light-running crashes shooting up 30 percent in cities that have stopped using the cameras. “We know we have a problem: people dying at signalized intersections because of people running red lights,” IIHS President Adrian Lund explained Thursday when he presented the study’s finding at a red light camera forum hosted by the Institute. “We know red light cameras are part of the solution.” While many U.S. cities continue to add cameras at intersections with traffic signals, at least 158 communities across the country have ended their red-light camera programs in the past five years amid complaints they are designed primarily to raise money through tickets rather than to enhance public safety. Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices, said it’s disappointing the total number of communities with red-light camera programs has dropped from 533 in 2012 to 467 last year. “Too often,” Adkins said, “a vocal minority leading the charge to suspend these programs are costing lives in their communities.” The findings of the study hit particularly close to home for Alabamians. Earlier this month, the city of Montgomery ended their use of controversial use of speeding cameras in unmanned police cars, but kept red light cameras installed at intersections across the city, which according to the study, may ultimately prove to be a very wise decision.
Despite concerns, bill allowing cameras on school buses passes committee
The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday which would authorize local school boards to install cameras on school buses to catch people who violate stop signs on the side of buses. The bill makes it optional for school districts to do so. SB215 from Sen. Jimmy Holley (R-Elba) brought forth the bill because he aims to create a “safe environment for our school children to get on and off school buses.” Holley noted that there are multiple accounts each year of children being injured due to a driver’s failure to yield to a school bus’s stop sign and hundreds of related offenses. Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) voiced multiple concerns over the legislation, specifically how the cameras would be installed and maintained. Holley said that it would the responsibility of local school boards to pay for the cameras, noting that it might require multiple cameras on each school bus. Concerns were also voiced over the constitutionality of such cameras, with lawmakers noting that cameras on street lights and in unmanned police cars are widely unpopular and often unconstitutional. Holley had no real explanation as to what makes these cameras different, only that they would go a long way in curbing the practice of ignoring school bus signals and provide ways to prosecute those who do. Further concern was raised over the fact that law enforcement is not involved in the installation of the cameras, but Holley affirmed that local law enforcement must be brought into the fold when a municipality decides to install such cameras. The cameras will shoot footage of the offender’s license plate, therefore holding accountable the car owner regardless of who is operating the vehicle. The bill has already passed the Senate and its passage through the House committee clears it for a reading before the full House of Representatives.
Distracted-driving bill stalls in House
Distractions by pets, cellphones and personal grooming would earn motorists at least a $25 fine and two points on their license based on legislation considered in the House on Thursday. House Bill 198, known as Bryant’s Law, expands the definition of distracted driving to include reading, writing, personal grooming, and caring for pets in addition to using a cellphone or mobile device. The bill failed to pass a House procedural vote on Thursday. It could reappear later in the session. Existing law makes it illegal to write or send texts while driving. Bryant’s Law would bar drivers from any activity that causes inattention or distraction. The bill would also allow law enforcement officers to treat a distracted driving violation as the primary or sole reason for issuing a citation. The fine for a first offense is $25; $50 for a second violation; and $75 for a third or subsequent violation. Each violation would add two points to the driver’s license. Rep. Marcel Black, a former lawyer, raised concerns that the bill would lead to unintended consequences and lawsuits: “Anything can be distracting. What’s going to happen is that there will be a lawsuit on every car wreck in this state.” Bryant’s Law is named for Bryant Lavender, an Alabama teen killed in a distracted-driving accident. Students at a Pickens County high school pitched the bill to legislators as part of a school project to educate their peers about the dangers of distracted driving.
