Help support your local red-light camera. Run a red, pay the Fed.

You win some, you lose some, but sometimes you just can’t win. Dallas City Hall is struggling with the issue of red light cameras, designed to take pictures of motorists who speed through red lights. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the cameras are working very well. Too well. In some intersections the number of red lights run has fallen 50 percent, and the cameras are working so well that they can’t pay for themselves. Talk about irony…

Dallas City Hall initially estimated the revenues from the red light camera system would be $14.8 million during the 2007-2008 year, but that estimate changed to about $6.2 million. The problem with that is that now more than one-forth of the 62 cameras have simply been shut-off because the money made from fines is not justifying their operation. The Dallas government is facing a serious conundrum. If you are interested in more details, check out the link below.

It’s weird that a city government would have to adjust their red-light camera program because of issues of revenue. One would think that the government would want to install such cameras for safety, as that would discourage people from running red lights and limit accidents, deaths, and other mishaps. When such a system works too well as deterrent forces it poses significant problems for the governments. Perhaps red-light cameras should not be implemented for the purpose of revenue generation, but public safety. That does make the most sense right? Governments should be in this for public safety, not for the money. But tell that to cops waiting at the bottom of hills…

[Link]

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