A consumer watchdog group says municipalities are signing contracts that force them to write a certain number of tickets on drivers who run red lights, a situation that jeopardizes safety and puts profits ahead of citizens’ interests.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says that when some municipalities sign contracts with vendors to provide red-light cameras, they end up with agreements that privatize traffic law enforcement in a way that does not prioritize safety. Some contracts split ticket revenue 50/50, with half going to the vendor and the other half going to the municipality. So to make up for the fact that they are giving away half their ticket revenue, municipalities write more tickets.
“Automated traffic ticketing tends to be governed by contracts that focus more on profits than safety,” said Jen Kim of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group.
Profits Over Safety
The recently-released US Public Interest Research Group, titled Caution: Red Light Cameras Ahead, points out that half of all states use some kind of camera system to enforce driving laws. But their presence is increasingly controversial.
Why? Because although running red lights is dangerous—it accounts for 2% of fatal accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—red light cameras may actually cause crashes. Cautious drivers slam on the brakes at yellow lights, increasing the incidents of rear-end accidents.
The best way to make red lights safer is to lengthen the amount of time the yellow light stays illuminated. But when municipalities suddenly get into the business of making money off tickets, sometimes towns shorten yellow light times.
Economic Burden
Since the economic collapse in 2008 that slammed property values, municipalities have collected less taxes from property owners in their towns. To close that gap, they either need to cut spending or raise revenue. Red-light cameras appear to be one way to keep revenue flowing.
The pool of money from red-light tickets is tempting. The contracts often ask very little of municipalities, other than encouraging them to keep writing tickets. In some “cost-neutral” contracts, cities don’t have to pay a vendor fee every month if the cost of the ticket revenue is enough to cover the fee. If the towns fall short, they owe the contractor money.
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