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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Ind. Law - "Gary cameras may nab drivers who run red lights"

Jon Seidel reports today in the Gary Post-Tribune:

Running a red light in the city might get riskier if talks between the city's administration and other elected officials go as planned.

A proposed law withdrawn from the City Council agenda last week would have allowed the use of cameras to catch drivers ignoring a red light on the road.

Joel Rodriguez, a special assistant to Mayor Rudy Clay, said the ordinance was withdrawn because Clay wants to discuss the idea with City Clerk Suzette Raggs and City Judge Deidre Monroe.

Once that happens, Rodriguez said, the City Council can expect to see the item return for a vote. "Our goal is to have at least four pilot cameras up," Rodriguez said.

Similar devices are in use in Chicago, but Rodriguez said he doesn't know of any city in Indiana that uses them.

This was an issue in Indiana nearly 3 years ago, as indicated in this Feb. 2, 2005 ILB entry headed "State may jump on red-light camera bandwagon." At the time, a bill was proposed which would allow 10 Indiana cities to install red-light cameras. Another ILB entry, from March 30, 2005, includes these quotes from an Evansville Courier & Press editorial:
Several states have banned red-light cameras and other photographic-enforcement systems.

Others have rewritten their laws after noticing that violations were being driven more by government greed than by safety considerations.

So from the safety standpoint there is some evidence that red-light cameras work, but there is enough evidence to the contrary to warrant caution. On the issues of intrusiveness and potential for abuse, the verdict would appear pretty clear.

We see a signal indicating the way the Legislature ought to vote on red-light cameras.

It would appear to be flashing yellow.

Gary also has an ordinance going into effect Jan. 1, 2008 which prohibits use of cell phones while driving - see this Oct. 8, 2007 ILB entry.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 27, 2007 09:56 AM
Posted to Indiana Law