Best Way To Avoid A Ticket: Drive Safely
Safe drivers are usually not the first to complain about the many new traffic control devices being installed on America’s roadways. From traffic light cameras which snap license plate pictures of driver’s who run red lights to speed cameras designed to catch speeders without the need for a police officer to sit by the side of the road all day, these automatically ticketing devices are becoming more and more common.
Just ask the folks of Palm Coast, Florida, who contend with red-light cameras at 10 intersections around the city.
Despite complaints from those who say the new technology is infringing on their civil rights and rights to privacy, courts around the country are overwhelmingly supporting them. Even when state law does not specifically allow them local ordinances are good enough; city officials who want a traffic camera at a local intersection have only to vote it in and it’s done. Police love them because it helps them monitor an area without spending manpower to do it. Drivers hate them for obvious reasons.
There is no worse feeling (ok, there ARE probably worse feelings but for our purposes here they don’t count) than getting a citation in the mail with a photo of your license plate running a red light or speeding through a school zone.
You know who are NOT complaining about the increase in automatic traffic control devices? Defensive driving experts. Anyone who has ever attended a defensive driving course knows just how important it is to maintain a safe speed, follow all traffic laws and be good, defensive drivers. There is no substitute for being a safe driver. Cars don’t drive themselves, so we are responsible for our own actions every time we get behind the wheel. If a red-light camera catches you running a signal don’t blame the technology. If you want to know who is really at fault, take a good hard look in the mirror.
