The business model employed by the manufacturer of these cameras and the cities that use them reveals the true motives behind the spread of the technology. These cameras cost money to build, install and maintain. If the ultimate goal is to enhance safety by reducing the amount of vehicles that run red lights, then the costs don’t justify the ongoing expenses. It is just that simple. These devices have to continuously issue expensive citations to pay for themselves. Repeated studies demonstrate the best way to enhance red-light safety is to increase the length of the yellow light. In a lot of documented cases where enforcement cameras have been installed, just the opposite – a reduction in the duration of the yellow light – has occurred. As a result, rather than delivering safety, these devices are
causing an increase in rear-enders.

But there is more to it that just that, say privacy advocates like privacy.org. A recent news item on the organization’s web site notes that government agencies admit to losing personal information.

And of course, private companies that gather our personal information “leverage” it for commercial gain. As we now know, these companies build very detailed profiles of all of us; our interests, our behaviors, locations we frequent, individuals we call and email, all of this data ends up in a commercial data bases. So how is the information gathered by camera-based vehicle code enforcement systems being stored? In private data banks with no public access.

That’s unconstitutional. Not only does an alleged offender have no right to confront his or her accuser in these cases, but defendants also have no access to the private image databases being maintained outside of normal, constitutional oversight. So if an individual cited and ticketed by these automated devices was not in reality speeding, or if a camera has malfunctioned in any way, there is no constitutional recourse for the accused. And that’s just not right.

PhotoBlocker Spray is a clear, hi-gloss permanent reflective finish that, when applied to automobile or truck license plates, creates a glossy finish that mirrors and reflects photo radar. The resulting picture, the only evidence against a flesh-and-blood citizen, is overexposed and unreadable. A small, but worthy step in countering a national invasion of
privacy.