Are Speed Cameras Worthwhile? »
So it seems that speed cameras in Charlotte have nabbed 30,000 violators. Not a shabby number, but apparently a huge number - 20,000 - extra citations could have been issued. Why were they missed? Because either the speeders were only speeding slightly or the license plates were blurred.
First, this is an estimate, so the actual number may be 200. It could also be 50,000. Second, there is no breakdown - so perhaps 99% of those were one case, and 1% the other. Maybe a 50-50 split. It doesn't really matter all that much.
What I don't get is that they install this system to catch speeders, and there is potentially a huge number - perhaps as much as 40%, perhaps more - that aren't getting caught! Take it from someone who has to deal with dogs - if you give people a break, they're going to exploit it. If they know they can drive 5 miles over the limit and not get caught, guess how fast they will go?
If you want to do something like this, fine. It's the limit, it's the law. No law-abiding citizen should have a problem with it. If they do, change the laws, but not the enforcement of them. But be consistent, people!
Update: Apparently the law (in North Carolina, I believe) has actually been read to determine that the income from civil penalties has to go to the schools, and since most of the income from the cameras is going to the camera operators, and not the schools, it seems that not only speed cameras, but red-light cameras are going to be shut down. Just to show you how smart we are, they might even be liable for back pay. Nice.
Comments (2)
I think most of the problems are probably plate blurring. Or they let people off for a few miles over not because they're lax but because they don't trust the calibration of their radar gun.
They have to let some people go or they could end up in the situation we had out here in Denver. The company that ran the system was getting paid a commission per ticket, so they were sending tickets for pictures where they couldn't read the license plate at all. People complained that they got a ticket for a white pickup when they drive a green sedan, lawsuits were filed, and all the tickets had to be rescinded and refunded. Needless to say, the cameras all came down.
Posted by Matt Moore | August 16, 2005 5:27 PM
Interesting points, to be sure.
Especially so when you consider that out of $1 million collected (hmm... 30K * $50 each = $1 million?), roughly two-thirds hsa gone to the company operating the system, with the remainder going to the government.
Of course, because the advertising campaigns and such cost so much, not a dime has gone to the schools - which was a strong selling point when the system started. You see how well that works out!
Posted by Chad Everett | August 16, 2005 5:29 PM