Tony Dodero -- From the Newsroom

Big Brother, the fictitious boogeyman from George Orwell’s “1984,”

probably would have loved red-light cameras.

And more than likely, those who cast a wary eye toward government and

its ability to watch over us, probably feel just the opposite.

While my initial instincts are to agree with those who don’t trust Big

Brother and want to protect our civil liberties, I have to admit I

welcome the news that the city of Costa Mesa is going to install

red-light cameras at intersections and here’s why.

A little more than five years ago, a red-light runner sparked a

tragedy in this community that many, many people will never forget. I

know I never have and I never will.

Tracy Wolonsky, a 34-year-old mother of four very young children, lost

her life one fateful May day when an Irvine man, David Pierce, screeched

through a red light on Jamboree Road and Bison, broadsiding Wolonsky’s

red Pontiac Firebird.

The tragic accident left the Eastbluff community in shock and, even

worse, left Wolonsky’s children motherless and her husband a widower.

Since that day, I make a mental note to break for red lights and to

think of what mayhem I could cause by being in such a hurry. I know I’m

not always successful in stopping in time.

I also know, there are many who pay very little heed to red lights.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t witness someone running a red light,

someone who may have not heard the story of Tracy Wolonsky, gunning it

through an intersection at the last minute.

“I’ve seen plenty of accidents caused by people running red lights,”

said Costa Mesa traffic division veteran Sgt. Don Holford. “Too many. The

side impact results in rollovers. These accidents are senseless. They

could be avoided if people would just slow down.”

In Newport Beach, the city in which Tracy Wolonsky’s accident

occurred, police officials are watching and waiting to see how the

red-light camera debate unfolds in their neighboring town.

“We are monitoring the progress of the red-light cameras and, at some

point down the line, we’ll weigh the benefits,” said Newport Beach police

Lt. Andy Gonis. “We will continue to keep our eyes open for new

technology coming out.”

Gonis noted that Newport police has devices attached to traffic

signals that let motorcycle officers monitor signal changes. He said this

has been a very effective tool in catching red-light violators.

Costa Mesa alone has some startling numbers on red-light violators.

From Jan 1, 1998, to May 31, 2000, there were 881 traffic collisions

caused by red-light runners.

Of those, 419 resulted in injuries and two were fatal accidents. In

the year 2000, the police cited 3,186 people for running red lights and,

this year, they’ve already recorded 1,800 citations, which cost $271 a

pop.

I know the arguments against the cameras. First, of course, is the Big

Brother stuff, but there’s also the argument that the cameras are not

reliable and don’t stand up well to court challenges.

Police and city officials are aware of those bugs and believe they can

be fixed.

I think the bigger and more important question needs to be: Will

red-light runners hit the brakes more often if they know they are being

photographed? I believe the answer is yes. And if it means avoiding

another tragic incident, then it’s all worth it.

But if you’re not convinced, just think of Tracy Wolonsky. Think of

her four children, who ranged in age from 18 months to 8 years old,

having to go on with their lives without a mother.

And think if being in a hurry can ever be a valid excuse for causing

so much pain.

Seems to me, the answer is pretty simple, whether you’re caught on

camera or not.

* TONY DODERO is the editor. His column appears on Mondays. If you

have story ideas or concerns about news coverage please send messages

either via e-mail to o7 tony.dodero@latimes.comf7 or by phone at

949-574-4258.