A recent state senate bill was passed that affected a device that some Texas cities have been using to catch motorists who speed at intersections. Those who support the devices claim that since their implementation, the number of car accidents at red lights has been greatly reduced. Statistics have shown that the red-light cameras have had a positive effect on driving safety in many cities across the state.
The device at the center of the debate is a camera monitor that many cities in Texas have installed at intersections that are typically busy thoroughfares, where drivers often run red lights. Traffic tickets are issued to drivers whose speeding vehicles were captured on film as evidence. The recent SB 714 bill, however, mandated that cities disconnect their red-light camera monitors.
A large group of traffic officials and experienced police officers recently testified to senators that the monitoring program has had a beneficial effect on city driving. The group, comprised of officers and officials from as many as seven different cities throughout the state, explained that they have noticed that drivers tend to act with increased caution when they are aware of the surveillance cameras. This, in turn, has greatly reduced the number of violent crashes at busy intersections, according to available statistics.
Those who supported the bill claim that the cameras encroach upon citizen liberties and are really nothing more than a sales scheme. No matter on which side of the debate Texas residents might stand in agreement, it doesn’t change the fact that with or without red-light cameras, there are still car accidents that cause injury to innocent victims. Those who have suffered injury at the fault of another driver might find it prudent to seek the advice of an attorney if they are considering filing a personal injury claim in a civil court. This type of formal litigation sometimes brings court-awarded compensation for monetary damages sustained during, or in the aftermath of an accident.
Source: dallasnews.com, “Don’t unplug red-light cameras”, April 22, 2015