Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) today praised the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision to suspend red light camera monitoring in a majority of the towns participating in the statewide pilot program, two of which are in her legislative district.
The Bergen lawmaker also urged the state to go one step further and disband the practice altogether through bipartisan legislation she is sponsoring.
“This was a smart move on the part of DOT, from both a safety and fairness perspective. What was initially intended to help promote safer roads, has potentially promoted the opposite”, Huttle said.
Huttle added, “I’m sure there are many drivers who’ve felt pressured to speed up or slam on their brakes so they don’t get caught on camera going through a red light. If the yellow lights are improperly timed, these cameras present a double safety threat.”
The Assemblywoman also said that “This pilot program has proven invasive and potentially dangerous. It’s time to pass the bipartisan legislation I’ve sponsored to disband this program altogether.” TLS.
“At the very least, DOT should conduct an analysis to determine whether accident rates have increased at any of these intersections since the program was implemented,” said Vainieri Huttle.
a Democrat with her head on straight way to go
I get the safety issue. I don’t get the invasive issue. If someone blows a red light then he has broken the law and is a danger to other motorist. A cop who witnesses this can give him summons as is well deserved. Explain why when it’s a camera is it then invasive?
Democrat with some sanity?! Or is that a typo?
of course it is invasive. YOu as a Jew are used to the idea of Ayin Roeh, someone above watching. but do you really want the govt watching you?
It’s invasive because the camera just takes a snap, but doesn’t show the whole story. A policeman at the corner, can see the whole story, like what you were trying or not trying to do, and hopefully he will use his descretion.