I am planning to vote against the legislation that would ban speeding cameras in the city of Cleveland. Heres why: I dont 100% endorse the way the city has run the program, but experts who research this stuff agree speeding cameras save lives. We tend to think of speeding as a victimless crime in the U.S. but it is not. Traffic collisions where speeding is a factor kill 10,000 Americans annually. That is almost exactly the same as the number killed by drunk drivers. In a densely populated and low-income city like Cleveland, many people are more vulnerable to being killed or maimed by a speeding car -- especially children and the elderly -- because they may be dependent on walking or biking or transit (and walking) to get around. Outlawing speeding cameras would be a big setback for bike and pedestrian safety and also for just justice and safety more generally and the well being of people living in the city. Protecting vulnerable people, not permitting dangerous behavior, should be priority number 1. I know people dont like getting tickets, but there can be real, severe consequences to other innocent people from speeding. Cities like New York and Chicago -- that are focused on urban livability -- have been gradually adding speeding cameras in an attempt to completely eliminate traffic fatalities. Thats the direction we should be heading.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:26:03 +0000
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