Bill Introduced to Ban Red Light Cameras in N.C.

A bill to outlaw the red light camera system is moving through the North Carolina General Assembly.

Senate Bill 187 would make it illegal to operate any red light camera. Currently, seven North Carolina cities use the camera system.

“There is little evidence to support, in [North Carolina], that it improves safety at intersections,” N.C. Republican Senator Ralph Hise, who is one of three lawmakers sponsoring the bill, said.

“In fact, we’ve seen the red light cameras make intersections more dangerous and increase accidents at intersections.”

Hise hopes the bill will put the responsibility for enforcing red lights back on police.

NBC17.com

Sen. Hise is right. Red Light cameras do less-than-than jack to make the roads safer. They are not there to promote safe roads; they exist to pad the pockets of local municipalities.

When a speeder blows through a red light at 90mph, he is endangering everyone on the road with him. An actual police officer can pull him over. But the best a camera can do is click a picture and mail the speeder a ticket the following week. What good does that do?

That’s not even the most pressing reason why these cameras need to be eliminated. The most pressing reason is because they are, in my opinion, unconstitutional. At the very least they are extremely unfair to defendants. Can you question a camera? Can you plead your case to a camera like you could a police officer? What if there are extenuating circumstances, like getting caught behind a slow-moving rig or participating in a funeral procession? A living, breathing police officer could take those into account. Can a camera?

I hope this law passes. Let’s see which Republicans in the assembly will really walk the “small government/personal freedom” walk they campaigned on.

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