Facts that are too often left out by media

Photo enforcement cameras are installed to make roadways safer for all drivers, pedestrians and pedal cyclists. We have a traffic problem. People are still dying because of poor driving habits in preventable collisions — not accidents.

These cameras are not about “Big Brother” or another form of “taxes on drivers.” They’re about quality of life and fining traffic violators. Photo enforcement cameras are in place to help us reduce violations, crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by speeders in school zones and those who elect to run red lights. These cameras are completely voluntary and no one is required to participate in the project. You can choose not to be a participant.

Most violators take ownership and responsibility for their violation, and vow to be more careful. Motorists who violate traffic laws pay for the program. The program costs taxpayers nothing! Revenue paid by violators goes to pay for public services. These cameras are a force multiplier allowing law enforcement increased public safety through the ability to focus on other crimes, increasing quality of life for the public we serve.

Nationwide, red-light runners cause 190,000 collisions with 90,000 injuries and 1,000 fatalities annually. The Federal Highway Administration reports the economic cost to society is estimated to be $6.2 million for every fatal collision.

These costs are associated with things such as medical costs, emergency services, vocational rehabilitation, market productivity, household productivity, insurance administration, workplace costs, legal costs, public travel delay, property damage and psychosocial impacts.

Red-light running kills. Stopping for a red light has not and will not kill anyone. Cities that have the courage to use automatic enforcement systems are saving lives. Politicians who are strong enough to do what is right by having the courage to support this system are saving lives. These cameras are tools to catch and change poor driving habits.

We are sensitive to the pressures of your vocal minority, but we are also aware of the extreme fiscal, physical and emotional costs of unsafe driving. We must remember who the true victims of red light running are. They are not the vocal minority, unable to take ownership and responsibility for their poor driving choice, but the real victims — the families of loved ones killed by red-light runners. We rarely hear from the true victims; the people injured physically, financially and emotionally by these lawbreakers.

Sgt. W. Davis
Lynnwood Police Traffic Division

Shannon Sessions
Lynnwood Police Public Information Officer

Talk to us

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, Oct. 1

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

FILE — In this Sept. 17, 2020 file photo, provided by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Chelbee Rosenkrance, of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, holds a male sockeye salmon at the Eagle Fish Hatchery in Eagle, Idaho. Wildlife officials said Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, that an emergency trap-and-truck operation of Idaho-bound endangered sockeye salmon, due to high water temperatures in the Snake and Salomon rivers, netted enough fish at the Granite Dam in eastern Washington, last month, to sustain an elaborate hatchery program. (Travis Brown/Idaho Department of Fish and Game via AP, File)
Editorial: Pledge to honor treaties can save Columbia’s salmon

The Biden administration commits to honoring tribal treaties and preserving the rivers’ benefits.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is surrounded by reporters looking for updates on plans to fund the government and avert a shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Comment: Shutdowns a poor way to negotiate a budget

Past brinkmanship has produced agreements with little in budget savings. There are better ways.

Eco-nomics: Climate report card: Needs more effort but shows promise

A UN report shows we’re not on track to meet goals, but there are bright spots with clean energy.

Comment: Child tax credit works against child povery; renew it

After the expanded credit ended in 2021, child poverty doubled. It’s an investment we should make.

Consistent drug pricing would help all

I found a recent column by Megan McArdle about the very current… Continue reading

Can Congress act in time to avert government shutdown?

I just looked in the mirror and saw that I had cut… Continue reading

Matthew Leger
Forum: Amenian festival shows global reach of vounteers

A Kamiak student helped organize a festival and fundraiser for the people of a troubled region.

Dan Hazen
Forum: Things aren’t OK, boomers; but maybe the kids are

Older generations wrote the rules to fit their desires, but maybe there’s hope in their grandchildren.

Most Read