America


Biden to Spend $6 Billion on Speed Cameras


more than half of U.S. motorists (53%) think speed cameras are more about raising revenue for governments than about improving traffic safety. The survey of some 500 licensed


drivers over age 18 also found a major- ity of drivers (61%) believed those pho- tographed speeding should get a ticket only if they’re going more than 10 mph over the limit. The National Motorists Associa-


Government says they’re needed to lower road fatalities.


A BY BILL HOFFMANN


one-paragraph provi- sion tucked into the $1.2 trillion, 1,039-page infra- structure plan, that Presi-


dent Joe Biden signed into law last November, contains a sweeping sur- veillance program that the govern- ment claims will help eliminate traffic fatalities across the nation. But critics fear it’s a Big Brother


scheme to profit off drivers and track their movements. The provision represents a windfall


for companies that make and install speed cameras, which are generally funded in a turnkey arrangement that does not require funding by cities or states, but allows private companies to operate the devices on their behalf. The new law provides direct sub-


sidies for companies offering this ser- vice.


“This is about more than just traffic


and speeding. This is about surveil- lance,” warns Lauren Fix, author of Newsmax.com’s The Car Coach col- umn.


The National Roadway Safety


Strategy, funded by a $6 billion grant from the infrastructure bill passed by Congress, will add speed cameras,


24 NEWSMAX | APRIL 2022


lower speed limits, and rebuild roads in ways to force traffic to move more slowly and safely. Transportation Secretary Pete But-


tigieg said that fatalities climbed in 2020 despite a decline in driving dur- ing the pandemic. And they were up 18.2% in the first six months of 2021. “We have for years been averaging


almost 3,000 deaths per month on our roads. Added up, in the last decade we’ve lost more than 350,000 lives on America’s roadways,” Buttigieg said. But Fix believes that’s subterfuge. “Let’s not fix aging bridges and roadways; instead, let’s generate more revenue for the government!” she said sarcastically. “Tracking the move- ment of all drivers and surveillance is the ultimate goal here.” There’s no question that speed


cameras are cost-efficient. In Seattle, traffic enforcement cameras issued over 20 times more tickets than police officers in 2021 — and police there are installing another 11 cameras to ticket vehicles that block intersections and use bus lanes. But drivers are wary of their true


purpose. A January 2022 survey commis- sioned by Erie Insurance found that


tion (NMA), a pro-driver advocacy group that opposes the camera traps, has compiled a list of why speed cam- eras “can actually make our roads less safe.”


Photo radar, the group said, can


generate false readings; encourages artificially low speed limits; does not improve safety; provides no certifiable witness to an alleged violation; and is designed to inconvenience motorists at best. “With properly posted speed limits


and properly installed traffic-control devices, there is no need for ticket cam- eras,” the group said in a statement. Not all law enforcement agencies


favor speed cameras. The Connecticut State Police Union has called them “unreliable” and said state troopers should be used to protect motorists and highway workers instead. NMA President Jim Baxter said


he believes the long-term solution to “aligning legitimate public interests with government policies is to remove the money from traffic regulation, enforcement, and adjudication. Until that happens, the focus on revenue generation will continue to trump effective traffic regulation and ethical enforcement practices.” Currently, six states have laws that specifically prohibit speed cameras on all roads: Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.


MICHAEL S. WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100