Skip to main content

Survey finds speed, red light cameras divide Americans

A new survey from free legal information website FindLaw.com found that 52 per cent of Americans support the use of radar speed cameras, while 48 per cent oppose them. Advocates say the cameras increase safety, but opponents contend they are often little more than revenue grabs by communities seeking to fill their local coffers. Interestingly, there is a split between men and women on the issue – a majority of women support the use of speed cameras while a majority of men oppose it. Ohio recently adopted a
March 12, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A new survey from free legal information %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal website Visit Findlaw website false http://www.findlaw.com/ false false%> found that 52 per cent of Americans support the use of radar speed cameras, while 48 per cent oppose them.
 
Advocates say the cameras increase safety, but opponents contend they are often little more than revenue grabs by communities seeking to fill their local coffers.  Interestingly, there is a split between men and women on the issue – a majority of women support the use of speed cameras while a majority of men oppose it.
 
Ohio recently adopted a law requiring the presence of a law enforcement officer when a speeding ticket is issued, effectively banning automated speed cameras. Nationwide, however, the 7120 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says the number of communities using radar speed cameras increased from 115 in 2011 to 137 in 2014.
 
This is in contrast to the use of cameras that enforce red light violations at intersections. The use of such cameras is decreasing, and FindLaw found that Americans oppose the use of red light cameras by 56 to 44 per cent.
 
"The landscape of jurisdictions using automated cameras for traffic citations is changing constantly, due to decisions by courts, voters, legislators and city halls," said Stephanie Rahlfs, attorney-editor at %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal FindLaw.com Visit Findlaw website false http://www.findlaw.com/ false false%>. "If you drive across the country, you might encounter a red light camera in one city, a speed camera in another city, and neither in other cities. It's always advisable for motorists to be aware of the applicable traffic laws wherever they travel."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • France’s railways roll out B2B web portal
    April 8, 2014
    A new English-language web portal, www.French-rail-industry.com has been launched to promote France’s railways expertise to potential customers. The web portal aims to raise awareness among industry professionals worldwide of the know-how prevalent in France’s railway sector with sections devoted to the latest international company news and events such as Innotrans, which will take place in Berlin from 23 to 26 September 2014. The website will also help to establish connections between international
  • Laser Technology showcases its measurement instruments in the field
    April 23, 2013
    Laser Technology is showcasing its line of laser-based measurement instruments, highlighting real-world profile and event trigger deployments in North Carolina, Texas, Colorado and South America. The measurement systems are being used in red light cameras, license plate recognition and vehicle classification applications.
  • New multi-year deal between TAG Systems and Evry
    November 20, 2013
    A new multi-year supply contract gives Evry the exclusivity to distribute TAG Systems products including card bodies, dual interface cards, chips, PKI applications and other value-added products and services in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The contract between the two companies will enable TAG Systems to maintain its predominant position in northern Europe, the company states.
  • ITF launches six transport policy papers in time for COP21
    December 1, 2015
    Transport generates 23 per cent of global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion. This share needs to fall to stay within the two degree Celsius scenario for climate mitigation. The International Transport Forum has launched six concise analyses on critical issues for decarbonising transport for the COP21 climate change conference currently going on in Paris: A New Paradigm for Urban Mobility looks at how fleets of shared vehicles can end the car dependency of cities; Low-Carbon Mobility for Mega Cities disc