Aim should be safety

Kay Hicks gets it wrong about redlight cameras. Traffic enforcement should always be about safety, and never about raising revenue. Many such programs do not identify the driver, but instead capture the license plate of the vehicle, and send a violation notice to the registered owner. That individual may not have been driving at the time, but will now be liable for a fine for a violation he did not commit. Thus, there are already due process and constitutional issues. Additionally, the forums to contest such tickets are often run by the agencies that stand to benefit from the collected fines, raising the issue of impartiality.

In the cities that have them, redlight cameras are often run by contractors who get a cut of the take. There is an incentive to raise as much revenue as possible to enhance their profitability, which is a conflict of interest.

As if that were not enough, in many cases, the yellow intervals are shortened, making the lights turn red sooner than if proper traffic engineering guidelines were followed, thus stacking the deck against motorists.

Everyone wants traffic safety. But if that is the goal, then drivers passing red lights need to be ticketed by an officer who has witnessed the violation, and the driver can invoke his Sixth Amendment right to confront his accuser if he so chooses. Tying enforcement to raising revenue only invites corruption, and will have a minimal effect on traffic safety. THOMAS A. BECKETT

Siloam Springs