DFW.com has a great post on the proliferation of red light cameras in the metroplex. These cameras are popular money makers around the country.
Cities are loathe to state the real purposes of red light cameras; revenue from a regressive tax on drivers. Like most bad government policy we are told that the cameras will make us safer.
As the article points out the cameras send a ticket to the owner of a vehicle. You do not have to actually drive the car to get a ticket. Want to protest your ticket? Call Australia.
We have outsourced this law enforcement work to an Australian corporation, Redflex. Redflex is not sympathetic to claims of innocence. They require an affidavit stating that you were not driving, but also require you to give the name and address of the person who was. In what system of justice are you required to do the police’s work for them? If they do not know who is driving, they should not issue the ticket.
You have the right to an administrative hearing. You have no rights at an administrative hearing. The rights of a defendant in criminal court do not apply to these hearings. The government does not want civil liberties to stop a good racket.
DFW.com correclty points out that red light cameras do NOT make intersections safer. They increase the number of read end collision dramatically and most intersections continue to have a higher number of accident afterwards.
Automated law enforcement is an insult to the idea of limited government. These cameras are a tax grab by local cities that do not make us safer. In two years I hope the legislature has the courage to reject all forms of automated law enforcement.
Labels: Texas, Traffic Tickets