Red-light cameras will do their job

Red-light cameras will arrive in Costa Mesa in about a week. And it’s

about time.

Costa Mesa Police officials studied several intersections in the

city and deemed that Adams Avenue and Harbor Boulevard should be the

first to use them. With 259 red-light runners in an 18-hour period,

it’s painfully obviously why the cameras are needed.

Rather than losing a patrol car from the fleet, the Police

Department will rely on the cameras to cut down on the flagrant

violations. At the very least, the cameras will cause drivers to

reconsider stepping on the accelerator when the yellow and red lights

appear. This alone could prevent at least one accident making the

entire effort worthwhile.

A state Senate bill in the works, if it becomes law, will change a

few aspects. As it is now, those caught by red-light cameras receive

moving violations that become part of the driver’s record.

But because so many drivers try to cover their faces -- thus

making an even more dangerous situation -- the bill would force the

cameras to photograph the license plates instead of the drivers. That

would remove the violation from the driver’s record and would instead

make it a civil violation for the car owner. It would also carry a

lesser fine.

So the caveat created is that when a police car pulls over a

red-light runner, it would be a moving violation that goes on the

driver’s record. A violation caught on camera would not go on the

record and the owner, not the driver, would pay the fine.

While an inequity appears obvious, it still seems the compromise

is worth it. If the cameras prevent one accident or save one life,

then they’re worth some unfairness.

Costa Mesa should also have the cameras installed at other

intersections throughout the city since red-light runners are

everywhere and some intersections are certainly more prone than

others.

And for those who say the cameras are a violation of their

personal privacy, they themselves can do something about it: stop. No

foul, no photo.