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I just love the fact that the above video points out that the Albuquerque Mayor claims cameras have reduced accidents by 20%, while multiple independent reports show they increased by 20%, this sounds a lot like Knoxville… One side has to be lying! Who might that be? I vote for the city since they are receiving a financial benefit from the cameras that they would lose because if the citizens knew these cameras increased accidents, they would be demanding they be removed. Lets avoid this issue in Clarksville totally by saying no to traffic enforcement Cameras!
Remember our city officials want to install the type system here and our lights are still timed to cause more congestion not less. How many times have we all seen Riverside drive back up over 1 mile from the Riverside Drive intersection clear to McGregor park. North Second street back up clear up Emerald Hill towards Forbes and Marion. Kraft street backed up almost to Lincoln Homes. All because New Providence BLVD is backed up all the way to Peachers mill.
This leads to frustrated drivers trailing through the intersections whom with the cameras the city will likely be able to profit from. Do you really think they will have any incentive to fix the clear problems with our roads when it’s generating a profit for them?
The Redflex web site proclaims nearly 1,000 people are killed by red-light runners in the United States every year. However in 2003 there were 196 million drivers and 231 million motor vehicles. This means that you are more in danger of being struck by lightning than being injured or killed by a red-light runner in our city. Now I wouldn’t begin to offer odds anywhere else in Clarksville for that I think you are at a much higher risk, and these cameras won’t help you with that at all.
During the last year in the entire city of Clarksville there were 1,470 accidents at intersections throughout the city, there were an additional 1,274 citations issued for either running a red light or stop sign. There are over 85 intersections in Clarksville which have traffic signals. The entire city averages averages approximately 4 accidents at intersections per day. At Riverside Drive alone, during the last year over 39 million vehicles passed through that intersection. – Clarksville, TN considering red light cameras: Things the voters should consider
Does Clarksville’s accident level seem high enough to justify traffic enforcement cameras when they are proven to increase the likelihood of you or a loved one getting injured or killed when you get rear ended at one of these for-profit camera intersections? If the city wants to make our intersections safer they would try engineering, before resorting to enforcement. Of course doing things like that wouldn’t put more of your money in our city officials hands. Contact your city council member and let them know that you strongly oppose their dangerous revenue generating scheme!
Thanks for all the hard work you put into the “red light camera” article. I assumed it was a good idea, now im not sure.
Lyle Smith
I too was initially favorable to this initiative. That support was based upon my experiences with red-light cameras in German cities. There, the cities operate the camera system. It isn’t about making money, but ensuring and protecting public safety. However these reports show that principal is not the primary motivation under the American imported model.
It’s a shame we couldn’t import the German model without interjecting the capitalism germ into the mix. Manipulating yellow signal timing to deny drivers the 3-second standard is reprehensible. The companies which promote these camera systems do so as a business, which is understandable. However to base contracts strictly on profit-sharing of violators seems disingenuous.
The citizens have no way to know of the timing shift activated within these camera systems. Governments don’t declare it upfront. There are no warning signs that the traffic lights have shortened yellow light times. Accidents have resulted from the installation of these systems.
It seems the community would be better served by improving our roadway system. Re-configure some intersections and roads, analyze and coordinate traffic signals to aid traffic in moving more smoothly around our community. Short these corrective first-step actions, it would seem that we would need to hire someone to inspect and monitor the camera system operation to insure drivers are not being victimized by the this safety enhancement that is suppose to protect them. A strange kettle of fish this!