A press release from State Rep. David McSweeney:
McSweeney Pushes Legislation to Eliminate Red Light Cameras
Cary, IL…A recently released study has cast doubt on the viability of red light cameras to improve traffic safety.
In an effort to reduce the financial burdens on Illinois residents, State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) is sponsoring legislation to eliminate red light cameras.
McSweeney filed House Bill 173, which would repeal the State law allowing automated red light cameras at intersections. McSweeney will also continue to actively support efforts by Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington) to eliminate red light cameras.
Dave McSweeney
“A recent Chicago Tribune sponsored study has shown that Chicago’s red light cameras fail to deliver the safety benefits claimed by proponents,” stated McSweeney.
“House Bill 173 would prevent all local units of government from using red light cameras.”
The new research has called into question whether red light cameras are providing real safety benefits.
The study also revealed that Chicago’s use of short yellow lights and red light cameras have become a dangerous combination.
“The biggest takeaway is that overall (the program) seems to have had little effect,” said Dominique Lord, an associate professor at Texas A&M University’s Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, who helped with the Tribune sponsored study.
McSweeney says red light cameras are mainly being used to generate revenue for local governments.
“There is now more than enough evidence to conclude that red light cameras are simply another way to tax Illinois citizens,” McSweeney said.
“We need to lower taxes to promote economic growth and job creation. Red light cameras primarily serve as a revenue enhancement tool at great cost to taxpayers.”
Alright, David McSweeney.
We are so fortunate to have you in office.
Does that also mean the fines for these cameras will also be rescinded?
They should be.
It is my understanding that the fines are on peoples credit files and others have had their license suspended.
We have had enough of that.
Nice.
I hope this picks up some momentum.
If accident deterrent was the real purpose of red light cameras the state legislators and Governor who passed the law would have started with the most dangerous intersection in the state and gone down the list from there.
For some villages red light camera revenue is a good chunk of revenue from non citizens at a time when they don’t have enough revenue to meet their expenses in the first place.
And their current expenses are often understated anyways due to unfunded pension and retiree healthcare liabilities and bond debt service escalating or balloon payments).
If they are banned the villages will no doubt seek some other mechanism to replace the lost revenue.
I don’t like red light cameras and they should be banned.
To me they actually can cause accidents.
The big problem I have with red light cameras is that they are run by a private firm.
If a city or town wants to have red light cameras then they should be run thru the local precinct .
The tickets issued then would be signed off on by a police officer who would have to appear and represent the city on the day the citizen appeared in court for their red light camera ticket just like with any traffic ticket.
Also the citizen should be able to access records of when the light was last checked and the camera was last checked to make sure that they were in synch with each other.
If camera and light are not in synch then camera can capture vehicles going thru on the yellow or green invalidating the use of the red light camera system.
Fines paid, after appearing at a hearing to challenge both the right turn on Red ticket and the altered film footage used to justify both of those ~ should be refunded.
Total scam.
The Village of East Hazel Crest’s Attorney opened the hearing by announcing that he would rule in favor of the Village essentially every time
~ Yeah, that’s fair ~
Film used started by showing my car turning, after I had already stopped
Red-light cameras, properly used, are a good idea.
Too many drivers run red lights. What’s wrong with ticketing violators?
Same with Photo Radar.
It’s another good idea that politicians are afraid to implement.
Drivers speed.
How many?
80%? 90%?
Even police officers in marked vehicles, on patrol, exceed posted speed limits.
The speed limit is the legal Speed Limit.
How many readers here obey speed limits?
Someone ask Fox River Grove Trustees about how much revenue the Rt 14 & 22 red light camera makes per year. The budget in FRG depends on the REVENUE generated by that God forsaken camera.
Red light cameras are not a good idea. Its so 1984.
I have personally witnessed accidents where the light turns YELLOW and the lead car slams on the breaks in fear of running a red light. Bam – rear ended when there was plenty of time to get through.
Get rid of the frigging things.
If eighty or ninety percent of people are breaking the rules and few of those are crashing, then doesn’t that just tell you that the rules might be too strict? So then why try harder to enforce it?
Police were never meant to be revenue generators. When law enforcement is seen as revenue generators first, elected officials will be motivated to make rules on the basis of revenue generation rather than public safety.
How many police interactions are because of aggression against people or property vs. how many are traffic violations? In one former cop’s words, “I joined to arrest child molesters, not to write parking tickets.”
Red light cameras make people drive worse — stomping on their brakes as soon as lights turn yellow.
And now apparently we don’t even have to see our accuser. They can just put cameras everywhere in order to get money from people committing traffic violations. The idea of overlegislation and dragnet surveillance is scary to me. You should look up this article; I think it was called Three Felonies a Day. What did they say in the USSR? Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime. Something like that.
Do you ever ask yourself why police officers are so dead against the use of red-light cameras?
Let me tell you why, because off duty police officers are the greatest violators on the roads.
They speed and blow off red-lights all the time, and if they are caught, they show their tin star and get a break.
However, they can’t show the red-light cameras their tin star, and they get their well deserved ticket in the mail just like every other citizen.
I am all for equality and justice for all.
Really Eric? and I guess you have the data to back up your assertion?
Here’s a thought, perhaps RLCs are suspected (and known) to increase rear-end collisions (http://www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents).
Perhaps RLCs are known to be used at high volume intersections and not those with a high incidence of side impact collisions (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/15/stateline-red-light-cameras/2986577/).
Support your data or you’re just trolling…
Finally ….. he get’s it.
Maybe there’s hope for him yet.
His anti tea party comments still resound with me ….. VERY NEGATIVELY.