Red Light Cameras—Part II: A Story of Illegality Versus Liberty

Part I of this two-part blog ended with me stating that while writing I was receiving breaking news. There is actually a bit of good news I’d like to share that I just learned while preparing this blog for publication. NJ State Sen. Mike Doherty (R-23) agrees that red-light cameras are an invasion of our privacy and has introduced legislation to ban such activity. One of the points he makes, and this is valid for Gloucester Township, is the delay between the time of the “violation” and the time one receives the violation notice. The violation I received came three to four weeks after the date of the so-called violation. This is a travesty and took quite a bit of thinking on my part to place myself at the point of the violation. Add to that, I receive the ticket for my vehicles whether I am driving them or not, otherwise known as "guilt by association." This seems to be a clear violation of the Constitution as far as I am able to ascertain. What, I might ask, is the legal precedence for charging me with a violation for which there is no proof I committed and for which I was not present? Is anybody in township leadership listening; or, do you just not give a hoot?

Mr. Doherty goes on to point out that nine states have banned the use of red-light cameras. I might add that some U.S. towns and/or cities having implemented red-light cameras subsequently removed them. For one thing, the advertised safety factor was just not there.

Studies as to the safety of using red-light cameras are conflicted and have stated that red-light camera use has increased safety as well as made intersections more dangerous.

My own experience is that I have inadvertently reacted by jamming on my brakes when a light turned yellow rather than proceeding through the light safely. Fortunately there was no one behind me because I did not have time to look due to my knee-jerk reaction. The fact is that Gloucester Township officials have shown me that they are not interested in hearing what I’ve just related about short-stopping by their apathy when I shared it in Council meeting.

Howbeit, Mr. Doherty informs us that there are studies that suggest “accidents are more likely to happen when a red light camera is involved because drivers would rather slam on the brakes at a yellow light than risk getting a ticket in the mail.” BINGO! Mr. Doherty believes that liberty-loving American citizens should be “free to travel without worrying that their every move is being tracked in a database somewhere.” I can’t disagree with his logic.

Finally, I must point out what I believe is the illegal use of red-light cameras by Gloucester Township. After receiving a red-light camera ticket at the intersection of Little Gloucester Road and Blackwood Clementon Road I recorded the red, yellow, and green light timing. The yellow light where I was ticketed lasted less than 2 seconds (actually 1.95 seconds). This was recorded on a digital camera and ported into a commercial video editing program where I timed the lights down to hundredths of a second. I was concerned that I had been entrapped. At my hearing, where my ticket was thrown out for other reasons, the police officer reviewing the video informed me that the yellow light requirement was 1 second for every 10 mph. The speed limit at the intersection in question was 35 mph requiring at least 3.5 seconds of yellow light time. Imagine that!

I brought this up in Council meeting and was informed that I must be mistaken about the timing and the next time I checked the yellow light had been extended. I question the illegal way this camera was being used and wonder how many people were ticketed during the time the yellow light was shortened beyond what it should have been.

I challenge any township official to answer for this miscarriage of justice and I can and will produce the video evidence on demand.

We have our priorities all wrong here in Gloucester Township and it’s got to stop if we ever want to correct the run-down condition of center city Blackwood and the Blackwood Clementon Road business district so that Gloucester Township can come back and become a thriving community and a desirable place to live, work, and conduct business.