Dear Local and State Legislators,
I’ll cut to the chase.
The statute surrounding speed cameras in New Jersey must be amended.
I know the topic of of speed cameras has been brought up here on the scoop several years ago. I also recall that during the discussions it was noted by local officials that state law prohibits its use.
However, given the number of accidents in and around the area, the idea must be reconsidered. It’s an effective tool in reducing traffic accidents and deaths.
Anyone who has driven on Ocean Parkway and other busy roads in Brooklyn over the last few years has witnessed the drastic reduction in speed and accidents from that of the earlier years. Nobody wants a speeding ticket, and the cameras have demonstrated that such enforcement works.
Unlike red light cameras, which can sometimes cause accidents due to sudden braking to avoid running that light (which is why they were stopped), speed cameras ensure a consistent and safe flow of traffic. By monitoring and enforcing speed limits, these cameras encourage drivers to maintain a safe speed at all times.
The benefits of speed cameras are clear:
– Reduced speeding and reckless driving
– Decreased traffic accidents and fatalities
– Increased safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers
– Enhanced enforcement without diverting police resources
I implore legislators to reconsider allowing speed cameras in New Jersey. Once permitted, I urge Lakewood to promptly install them in our community to improve road safety. Even if costly, its a small price to pay to protect and save lives.
Sincerely,
A local driver.
TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]
Speed cameras lead to more traffic.
Safe traffic, yes. If it’s a normal speed limit like 35 mph. Only near schools when the kids are arriving and leaving it should be 25 mph. I live in a town where the speed limits on the roads are 35 mph. Yes, if you go 40 mph you don’t get a ticket. Accidents have been lowered and people feel safe crossing by a crosswalk. People here that are posting against speed cameras either don’t know the rules, care more about their pockets than people’s lives, and think that keeping rules of safe driving is a waste of time. I think IDF Lakewood would ban driving cars for a week on the roads, people will learn to appreciate the convenience of a car and start using it responsibility. Just because it has the capacity to drive fast doesn’t mean we don’t have to follow basic road safety procedures.
Most Lakewood’s would disagree with this writer!!!!
Must accidents in this town is NOT because of speeding, it’s because the horrible traffic and the idiotic settings of the traffic lights.
To add speed cameras would just create more havoc and rob people of their hard earned income.
If you are frustrated let it out on the politicians who do virtually nothing to fix the traffic issue, all they do is blame it on the county.
There is a lot more to say.
I’m originally from Brooklyn, living 5 years in Lakewood. Speed cameras do not cause traffic, they would help a lot with the accidents. Places like Route 9 maybe don’t need them, but New Hampshire, County Line, Cedarbridge – places that people speed on when the roads are not congested – the cameras would greatly help.
This is a great way to get rid of the housing crisis! Just look at Brooklyn, everyone packed out so there are plenty of houses available and the value plummeted.
Obviously you dont live in Brooklyn. You have no idea what you’re talking about.There are no houses available in Brooklyn.
I’m a bit surprised why TLS would even put up such an article which would only rob the Lakewood citizens of their hard earned money and not mitigate accidents or traffic.
People will know exactly where the cameras are and will slow down by it and speed up afterwards, just creating more traffic and more accidents as people will hit the brakes hard….
Is Lakewood municipality in need of cash? Is someone paying TLS to put up this article?
Clearly this want written for the benefit of the Lakewood residents
Have you been keeping up with the rate of accidents caused by speeding in this town? Slowing down and then speeding up and vice versa mostly only cause accidents on highways when going from 65 mph to 45 mph in a work zone. Do you right research before posting absurd excuses for speeding on unsafe roads.
Go back to NY!
Lakewood is the new NY.
“Anyone who has driven on Ocean Parkway in the last few years…” That’s exactly the problem, you can’t.
Speed limit is the problem. Ocean Parkway speed limit is like a walking speed.
I think you should do more research on vision zero before you write such a letter.
Vision zero is working in Hoboken, NJ and Jersey City, neither city has traffic cameras.
It has been a big failure in NYC mostly because the goal of the traffic cameras is not safety but revenue.
Thank you to the Writer and to the Scoop
for bringing this up i also think as a side bonus imagine the ambulance chasers would get speeding tickets as they speed to accidents it might become a deterrent since the money in fines might not make worth it for them .
You are a moser mommon Yisroel!
Probably the most ridiculous post in lakewood scoop history!! I avoid New York with a passion as those speed cameras are a major factor in making life miserable for every NY resident. As our president conveyed to the world “DON’T”
Speed cameras make the roads safe in crowded cities. Maybe go back to horse and buggy and appreciate driving the car you have, safely and with consideration of other people around.
And you my friend are what we call a “moiser”.
Anyone who has driven on Ocean Parkway recently knows that traffic crawls. It can easily take 20 minutes from Ave S to the Prospect Expressway.
Also more people are crossing the Ocean Pkwy in the middle of the road. This has been a major reason to accidents .
But there are still fewer accidents due to crazy speeding overall. It was a danger to cross ocean parkway even by the crosswalk!
There have been studies demonstrating the fallacy of these arguments.
Your request for additional enforcement may or may not have merit, but cameras have no business issuing tickets.
There is a solid amount of corruption that goes into installing these cameras. They are generally operated by third party companies (often in another country), and the third party takes a huge chunk of the tickets.
Way too frequently you will see a move alongside the installation of said cameras that can only be explained as a way to monetize the cameras.
For example, on ocean parkway they lowered the speed limit to 25 MPH while the lights are still synchronized at 35 MPH. This leads to increased revenue from speeding and light cameras.
In many instances, the length of a yellow light will be decreased when installing a camera to increase revenues.
There is also a massive due process issue, wherein you cannot actually face your accuser because the person “manually reviewing and issuing tickets” is located in Sweden or Norway, but the court system is loath to throw out these tickets even when they are clearly erroneous becausethey place too much faith in the technology.
So in short, while I appreciate the fact that you care, please don’t make such a suggestion again.
Absolutely not. Instead start ticketing reckless driving. Ticket no signaling. Ticket phone use.
Bullseye 🎯
Correct
People will stop using their phones in order to pay attention to the speed limit. Catch two birds with one stone.
Funny you bring up ocean parkway, where you have 3 lanes in each direction plus a service lane, basically a limited access highway and for some reason the speed limit is 25mph! And there is a speed camera right where the speed limit drops from 45mph to 25mph. After studies have shown that lowering the speed limit didn’t reduce pedestrian deaths they proposed lowering it even more, never mind maybe there are other issues besides speed. As Joe Biden accurately called the program “zero vision”
Move to China if you want to be monitored
Move to Africa if you don’t.
This writer is more than welcome to move to Brooklyn, the accident rate didn’t drop in Brooklyn it only costs hundreds of dollars to the people, they are lowering the speed limid every year to make more money, it’s literally faster to walk than drive in Brooklyn.
95% of Car accidents in Lakewood happens because people are turning left and right and cars are not giving them a chance to do so, so they are making bad judgments thinking there is space to turn.
Red light cameras are what’s needed. In the past few years, we have seen a surge in the number of cars blowing through red lights one, two three seconds after it turns red, when other cars or pedestrians start entering the roadway. This is probably causing more accidents than speeding (see TLS article from yesterday).
I think we can all agree that Lakewood driving needs to be improved. But cameras are not the solution. Leads to more traffic, which is the last thing Lakewood needs! And I wonder if leads to less accidents in Brooklyn. All I know is that everyone in Brooklyn hates it, leads to tons of tickets, many people totally ignore it and no one wants to drive in Brooklyn any more! What we need is more awareness, more being respectful to other drivers and just driving more mindful and safer overall. And once we’re at it, no, stopping and letting in 20 cars while there is hundreds of cars behind you, is not nice and it’s not Chesed! It’s misplaced Chesed and needs to stop
its proven that cameras save lives and increases safety I am whole heartedly on board with this. We need more cameras in lakewood from princeton to the 9 etc. and LOWER the speed limit. I see so many people speeding.
Whys lowering the speed limit going to stop people from speeding
Ocean parkway has 4 lanes with another block every 8 houses so speed camera can work out, Lakewood you have 1 lane or 2 lanes without side streets for traffic and adding speed camera will cause 1 huge traffic jam also those reckless bmw drivers on ocean parkway have no plates on there cars so cameras are pointless
Install the speed bumps all over Town
NO SPEED BUMPS!
I hate speed bumps! They do no good. All they do is slow you down and wreck your suspension.
Speed bumps save lives! It’s pikuach nefesh
The purpose of a speed bump is to slow you down. Duh
Speed bumps in developments like West Gate, yes. Children crossing all day.
Get out of nj if u ain’t like it we we’ll do fine without u dw Brooklyn is a disaster, if you want lakewood to stop having so many accidents get lakewood police to do something about the heroisis driving… I got a ticket for driving 36 mph on NYC on ocean parkway at night while is emty is that normal?????!!!! U know what fine but up speed cameras on kennedy but make sure you don’t get a ticket unless going over 65 mph
Speed kills.
We need cameras, however that is not the issue. People are not paying attention to the road. They are busy with cellphones and other things.
.
Send your letter to Avi Schnall. Perhaps he can use this issue to get us the Tuition Relief that he promised he would get us.
Wow! What a stupid post.
It’s well known by now that speed cams are a cash grab and that it does NOT reduce anything except your bank account balance.
If you’re so pro speed cams, move to Brooklyn. They’re looking for people like you.
Enjoy.
Speed cameras work to lower the crazy speeding on the roads.
Why are we always using technology to punish people? Why not use the cameras in a positive way by tracking those driving to Kollel & the earlier they go the more they are rewarded?
This should be very popular.
I started a program in a Kollel I’m affiliated with great results.
Working off the very successful (shout out to) TLS “Click-It & Lick It” program which rewards children for wearing a helmet with ice cream we created a “Learn it & Earn it” program. Members of the Hanhala carry around cards for a free bowl of Cholent on Thursday. If a member of the Hanhala sees a yungerman really shteiging away they present him with the card for some free Cholent.
Just like these days we need to encourage our kids instead of punishing them, the same goes for our adults.
That sounds fantastic!
The data has teaches us you are wrong.
The don’t increase safety.
They are a money grab.
The reason why we have dangerous driving is because we don’t care enough. If we cared our politicians would have the police enforce the law. But they know we don’t want them to run around ticketing the whole town.
But we can’t have our cake and eat it too….
most of the accidents are caused by inattentive drivers,texting ,on the phone, running stop signs and red lights , speeding can contribute to accidents but certainly not the major cause here in Lakewood. The other issue with red light cameras is who receives the summons ,the driver or the owner of the vehicle ( not always the same person)
Stop the robotization of humans. You will own nothing, eat grass, and drive exactly the speed limit.
Absolutely not. It’s just another way of taxing us and stealing our money. How about start giving tickets to reckless drivers instead.
lol. Not nice to troll
I know that this pathetic letter writer, is also the one who keeps responding in the comments with braindead responses to every legitimate point. Speeding cameras is the most hated part of New York life. Its a disgusting overreach and so much more, and does nothing. See the stats! Get a life
Sorry I didn’t write the article but I do agree with him. ״שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך״ To make rule, order and fairness. Nowhere does it say in order to make money…
Go back to NYC and to the coziness of your Big Brothers embrace.
Do you REALLY want to stop the accidents? Then have the police start ticketing for all traffic violations. An example- a while back Lakewood Police Chief Lawson said that the police could give out 1000 tickets a day. You don’t believe me? The article was in The Lakewood Scoop.
Sorry, it makes no difference how many lives it saves. This was passed as a bi-partisan effort to protect the privacy of nj citizens. It’s like saying any police officer should be allowed to search anyone’s home at any time because it will lower crime and save lives… while it may be true, we live in a free country that protect our rights. Also vision zero makes no sense, the only way to get to zero is to ban driving, if you are not willing to do that then you are sacrificing some lives for the convenience of driving. So where do you draw the line? How many lives are you willing to sacrafice?
Commentators here against this article should realize that you can drive 5 mph above the speed limit and not get tickets. Everyone should calm down. דינא דמלכותא דינא. It is a free country but even free counties need laws to be safe for all citizens.