A plan to put video cameras at some East Lansing intersections to monitor those who run red lights could have some good results, but there are issues with the plan that need to be addressed before further action is taken.
The East Lansing City Council is considering a plan to put cameras at intersections. The cameras would photograph the license plates of vehicles that run red lights. The East Lansing Police Department would then be able to use the pictures to mail a warning to the vehicle’s owner.
Motorists can be mailed tickets for running red lights in Virginia, New York City and Washington. Some Arizona cities use cameras to issue tickets for running red lights, but the tickets must be hand-delivered.
East Lansing police would need approval from a city attorney before mailing tickets to those caught on camera running red lights.
This plan has many advantages. Cameras could help the police catch more traffic offenders and help make the streets of East Lansing safer. The knowledge a camera is there to monitor driving behavior may deter some drivers from breaking the law.
Cameras could also help to assign blame in accidents and legal cases. If a motorist is seen to be the cause of an accident by a camera, questions of responsibility are eliminated.
Despite the benefits of the plan, there are many problems with it. The cameras take away the discretion of a police officer. An officer can see if a car ran a red light as it passes through the intersection or if the light was turning red when the car went through. A camera cannot differentiate in the same way.
The offender cannot be punished if the driver of the car is not the owner. Because the camera system relies on tracing the car by the license plate number, it may result in innocent people receiving warnings.
The cost of the project is unknown as yet, but should be considered when discussing the plan.
As it stands now, the plan only allows officers to send warnings to offenders. Warnings do not bring in revenue like tickets would, and would not help to offset the cost of the technology. Warnings would also do little to deter some motorists from breaking the law.
The use of cameras also brings with it issues of further, more intensive monitoring of motorists. While those who break the law should be found and punished, the privacy of the community should not be sacrificed to achieve that.
It is admirable of the city council to put forth such a progressive plan in a city the size of East Lansing. However, there are many questions about this plan that need to be addressed. While the council should continue to research the feasibility of the plan, it should make sure the final project is in the best interest of the country.
Cameras at intersections could help to save lives and prevent many traffic violations in East Lansing, but there are too many issues and concerns to deal with before it should be implemented.
