Fighting Traffic Cameras in WA State

There’s a rapidly-growing movement to ban traffic cameras in WA State (as is happening in many other states as well). Politicians will, of course, tell us that they are put in place for “public safety”, yet many studies show that red-light cameras actually increase accidents. This past weekend there were several local protests that were covered by The Seattle PI, The News Tribune, King 5, and others. But in the face of facts contrary to the official line, politicians dig in, not wanting to lose their revenue source…which is the real reason for the cameras.

Of course, I have my own history with a traffic camera in Puyallup from a few months ago. Mine’s a little more simple, in the fact that I actually. truly, completely was not the driver in question. I really was innocent. But the laws surrounding these cameras are so incredibly wrong: they do not need to “prove” who the driver is, they attempt to force the registered owner to name the driver when state law does not require, and all of this is handled by an out-of-state third-party private company. The full story of my court date is here. And yes, I won…

There’s a rapidly-growing movement to ban traffic cameras in WA State (as is happening in many other states as well). Politicians will, of course, tell us that they are put in place for “public safety”, yet many studies show that red-light cameras actually increase accidents. This past weekend there were several local protests that were…