Added on October 14, 2014  The News Wheel   ,
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Red Light Cameras Are On the Decline

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But oh, the wretched speed cameras are ever-increasing

Nobody likes getting a traffic ticket, unless you’re a masochist with a really weird fetish. The majority of us, however, cringe when we see the red and blue flash on behind us. What’s even more enraging, however, is seeing just a flash of light as you pass through an intersection on your way to work, indicating that a camera has just ratted you out to the boys in blue. You just try saying, “But it was yellow when I was going through,” to a camera, and see how far that gets you.

Red light cameras are on the decline

Red light cameras are on the decline.

Surprisingly, however, red light cameras are on the decline. In the last two years, red light camera programs have decreased from 540 to just 502, marking a 7% decline. The reasons for the decline are varied. Sometimes the issue of red light cameras is taken to the ballot box where it inevitably fails. Sometimes those in power don’t even see the merit in continuing the programs. And sometimes it could be a matter of a simple change in state law or the failing economy of municipality that has enacted the program and can no longer afford to keep it.

Don’t get too excited about the exodus of red light cameras, however. Although red light cameras are on the decline, speed cameras are reportedly on the rise. In the last three years, programs have grown from 115 to 140, a 21.7% increase.

There are debates raging across the country as to whether these cameras are legal, whether they improve safety, and whether they are profitable for the cities. One thing is for sure, however: the longer the debates last, the longer we fall prey to cameras that, like it or not, have the upper hand—er, lens—on roadways.

News Source: AOL Autos