2008 Woodie Awards
Red-light cameras will do some good, despite drawbacks
Editorial Board
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Opinions
By July, a lot more drivers who barrel through red lights here can look forward to receiving $50 citations in the mail. This spring, the city of Murfreesboro is installing red-light cameras at seven major intersections around town.
Well, technically, a company called Traffipax is doing all the heavy lifting. Interestingly, the city isn't even spending any of its own funds on this project; Traffipax just collects a cut of the revenue the automated enforcement generates.
The Tennessean reported Traffipax's slice to be $32,000 monthly. At $50 a ticket, that amounts to 640 tickets each month, or over 20 a day, roughly three at each intersection. Keep in mind that's just the contractor's cut, not the entire city's take.
Funny how profitable our safety becomes when we outsource it to private industry.
Funny also how certain nightmare intersections around town were passed over, including Memorial and Clark, and Broad and Old Fort Parkway.
It's no joke, however, to say that it's definitely high time red lights came under control around here.
Drivers are constantly rolling through lights long after they've turned red, risking grave injury and property damage to themselves and others - and for what? An extra two minutes at home?
Here's a tip: If you're really that desperate to free up a little extra time in your schedule, quit watching television. It's 2008; just download your favorite shows later.
Or better yet, incorporate public transportation into your travel routine so you can get some reading or homework done while you wait for your stop.
With gas projected to hit $4 per gallon this summer, getting acquainted with the bus schedule around here seems a sound investment anyway.
Anyway, everyone who feels entitled to run red lights or is otherwise "above the law" deserves to be cited for forcing oncoming traffic to brake abruptly despite already having the right of way.
This to say nothing of all the police who will find themselves with more time to spend enforcing laws of greater importance.
We should all be able to see the good in that.
Well, technically, a company called Traffipax is doing all the heavy lifting. Interestingly, the city isn't even spending any of its own funds on this project; Traffipax just collects a cut of the revenue the automated enforcement generates.
The Tennessean reported Traffipax's slice to be $32,000 monthly. At $50 a ticket, that amounts to 640 tickets each month, or over 20 a day, roughly three at each intersection. Keep in mind that's just the contractor's cut, not the entire city's take.
Funny how profitable our safety becomes when we outsource it to private industry.
Funny also how certain nightmare intersections around town were passed over, including Memorial and Clark, and Broad and Old Fort Parkway.
It's no joke, however, to say that it's definitely high time red lights came under control around here.
Drivers are constantly rolling through lights long after they've turned red, risking grave injury and property damage to themselves and others - and for what? An extra two minutes at home?
Here's a tip: If you're really that desperate to free up a little extra time in your schedule, quit watching television. It's 2008; just download your favorite shows later.
Or better yet, incorporate public transportation into your travel routine so you can get some reading or homework done while you wait for your stop.
With gas projected to hit $4 per gallon this summer, getting acquainted with the bus schedule around here seems a sound investment anyway.
Anyway, everyone who feels entitled to run red lights or is otherwise "above the law" deserves to be cited for forcing oncoming traffic to brake abruptly despite already having the right of way.
This to say nothing of all the police who will find themselves with more time to spend enforcing laws of greater importance.
We should all be able to see the good in that.
Be the first to comment on this story