Our Views: Red light robbery

The Island Now

A class action lawsuit filed by a Queens driver protesting alleged red-light violations caught by traffic cameras in Nassau County could wind up costing the county millions of dollars.

The complaint made by Claire Leder, who was ticketed for blowing a red light on Marcus Ave. in Lake Success, is all too believable. More than once we have warned that the red-light cameras that were introduced to improve driver safety had become nothing more than a lucrative way to increase revenue.

In her lawsuit filed last week in Long Island Federal Court, Leder argues that the camera system installed by American Traffic Systems Inc., of Arizona does not conform to standards published by the Federal Highway Administration. According to the lawsuit New York State law requires the yellow light to last at least three seconds.  Leder claims the yellow light interval at the 76 intersections in question is less than half of that.

According to the lawsuit, hundreds of thousands of red light violations captured by traffic cameras in Nassau County are the result of a faulty system. The fines, it claims, should be returned.

“A lack of sufficient yellow light time gives motorists traveling through the intersection insufficient time to stop safely and forces motorists faced with a yellow light to choose between slamming on the brakes and perhaps causing an accident or going through the light and getting a red light camera system violation notice,” the lawsuit claims.

It adds, “The motivation for utilizing a shorter minimum duration is money.”

Intersections where the yellow light is far too short are inherently dangerous. We suspect that every driver in Nassau County knows what we are talking about.

Before responding to the lawsuit, we suggest that the county test the yellow light timing in every intersection where the cameras are installed to make certain the system is in compliance with state and federal regulations. The results of that testing should be made public.

If, as we suspect, Leder is correct, the county should begin the tedious process of reviewing every red-light-camera ticket given out for at least the past year. In some cases the violation is blatant. Those tickets can stand. But in cases where it is clear a short yellow light led to the violation, the driver should be reimbursed and the violation removed from the driver’s record.

Unlike Leder, most Nassau County drivers don’t fight red light tickets, even when they feel that they didn’t have enough time to stop safely. They assume that the deck is stacked against them in traffic court. And they are probably right.

If the red-light camera system was improperly installed, the county should hold American Traffic Systems Inc. accountable.

This lawsuit is particularly troubling in light of the fact that consideration is now being given to using automated systems to ticket cars going too fast in school zones. Like the red light cameras, this is an idea that sounds good on paper but could become just another way for the county to bring in more money without raising taxes.

The traffic laws in Nassau County and the systems created to enforce them must exist for the sole purpose of public safety and not to pick the pockets of unsuspecting drivers.

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