Letter to the editor: Speed cameras & safety

Regarding the article “National Transportation Safety Board releases ‘Most Wanted’ list for reducing traffic deaths” (Feb. 4, TribLIVE): The safety argument for speed cameras has been debunked. Studies have shown speed camera areas having an increase in crashes or the cameras had no effect. In the UK, a substantial increase in crashes was seen due to panic braking.

Act 86 of 2018 puts speed cameras on interstates, the Turnpike and federal-aid highways and gives the state police LIDAR monitors (light detection and ranging devices). That part is not germane to speed cameras. The whole bill was modified excessively, too. These reasons may make the law invalid.

The bill does not require best-practice engineering and enforcement, and the issue of errors is not addressed. Maryland speed cameras produced many errors. There was an accuracy double-check in a previous bill, but it was removed. Did PennDOT ever hear about using the zipper merge? Where is a requirement for 85th percentile speed limits? Nowhere.

Ticket the actual driver and make the penalty community service, and see who wants cameras then. No more poor engineering and predatory ticketing, either.

Then the stop-arm cameras the state passed last year may not be legal, due to the state not knowing the rights people have under criminal law.

For real driving safety data that is unbiased, pull up the various data at the National Motorists Association.

James Sikorski Jr.

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