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Automatic Traffic Light Cameras

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Shin Thant Ko B10 June Section
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230 views3 pages

Automatic Traffic Light Cameras

Uploaded by

Shin Thant Ko B10 June Section
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Stimulus Materials for GED Ready® - RLA

Stimulus Material: GED Ready® - RLA

Automated Traffic Lights

Speech: Proposal for Automatic Traffic Light Cameras


by Councilman Lorenzo Hart
Baler Town Council meeting

Fellow council members:

1 The cuts to this year’s budget mean that fewer funds are available for many town
departments. We must thoughtfully examine how to use our resources most
effectively. I propose installing automatic traffic light cameras at 10 major
intersections in town.

2 Clearly, monitoring intersections is a public safety concern that lends itself to


technology. Automatic traffic cameras photograph the license plates of automobiles
running red lights. The town then sends traffic tickets to the violators. Automating
this process will allow our police officers to focus on duties that require human
attention, saving the cost of hiring additional officers.

3 Beyond the practical advantage, automatic traffic cameras have well-documented


benefits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that running red
lights causes hundreds of traffic fatalities and thousands of injuries annually.
According to a 2010 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, red-light
cameras have lowered these numbers in hundreds of U.S. cities. A 2005 Federal
Highway Administration study found a 25% decrease in front-into-side auto
accidents in seven cities that use red-light cameras.

4 Currently, drivers who get away with red-light violations tend to repeat the behavior,
making intersections less safe overall. Automatic cameras discourage this habit. A
2009 study of a program in Montgomery County, Maryland, showed an average
78% decline in the number of red-light tickets issued after the cameras had
operated for a year. Only about one-third of the drivers who each received a red-
light violation ticket repeated the violation within a two-year period.

5 In addition, by citing violators who may have gone unpunished without the
assistance of the cameras, our town would increase revenue through additional
traffic fines. A single intersection in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, generated
over $1 million in fines in only one year. The facts show that an investment in these
cameras pays for itself. Please support this proposal.

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Letter to the Editor: Automatic Cameras Not an Automatic Solution


Baler Herald
April 8

6 The town council’s proposal to install 10 automatic red-light cameras at traffic lights
is a proposal to waste money. I have scrutinized the details and calculated the
costs. The proposal does say that the company AutoCamera Inc. has promised to
waive installation fees that would normally run $50,000–$100,000 per intersection.
However, that same company will charge us $5,000–$6,000 each month per
camera to operate and maintain the cameras. That is at least $60,000 per year for
one camera. Installing 10 cameras will have quite a high price tag. Six hundred
thousand dollars per year could instead pay the salaries of new officers.

7 These cameras create other unexpected costs as well. In New Jersey and New
York, several cities have been sued over the timing of traffic lights with automatic
cameras. Plaintiffs often contend that the yellow lights are illegally short and that
required inspections of the cameras were not performed. Lawsuits over automatic
cameras are all too common, occurring also in states such as Ohio, Illinois,
Missouri, and California. In a single December in New Jersey alone, traffic light
company ATS settled 16 separate class-action lawsuits. Because we cannot control
public reaction to these cameras, the real costs are hidden. Any new fines collected
may pale in comparison to increased legal fees.

8 Additionally, the safety benefits of automatic red-light cameras are unclear. A 2005
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report says that some cities using
the cameras have seen a decrease in front-into-side accidents, but rear-end
collisions have increased. Apparently, speeding drivers notice the cameras at the
last minute. They apply their brakes abruptly, surprising the unsuspecting drivers
behind them and causing accidents. These additional collisions are avoidable if we
reject this proposal.

9 In every way, actual traffic police officers are superior to automatic red-light
cameras. The only investment we need to make is hiring more officers.

Madison Caan, civil engineer


Baler

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Prompt

Analyze the arguments presented in the speech and the letter to the editor.

In your response, develop an argument in which you explain how one position is better
supported than the other. Incorporate relevant and specific evidence from both sources to
support your argument.

Remember, the better-argued position is not necessarily the position with which you agree.
This task should take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

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