Submission + - Los Angeles to Stop Traffic Light Cameras
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "The LA Times reports that theLos Angeles Police Commission has voted to kill the city's controversial red-light camera program, rejecting claims that the system makes streets safer while costing the city nothing. The police department says the cameras help reduce accidents, largely by deterring drivers looking to run red lights or make illegal turns while critics of the technology question officials' accident data, saying the cameras instead cause rear-end collisions as drivers slam on their brakes and liken the cameras to Big Brother tactics designed to generate revenues. More than 180,000 motorists have received camera-issued tickets since the program started in 2004 but thecommission estimates that the program costs between $4 million and $5 million each year while bringing in only about $3.5 million annually. Members of the public who attended the meeting urged the commission to do away with the cameras, which trigger seemingly boundless frustration and anger among drivers in traffic-obsessed L.A."It's something that angers me every time I get in my car," says Hollywood resident Christina Heller. "These cameras remove our fundamental right in this country to confront our accuser. And they do not do anything to improve safety.""
