Traffic Trouble Spots Turned Into Photo Opportunities

It seems that no matter where I go these days, at some point my image will be magnetically stored on tape.

I walk into a convenience store to buy a Yoo Hoo and there’s some beady-eyed little camera marking my every move.

I fill up with gasoline and there’s another camera hiding under the eaves. I make sure to put on a little act for the one at the automatic teller machine--I sometimes pretend to pick something out of my teeth.

And now it seems that whenever I drive my car there’s a chance I might wind up on some TV screen.

For six months, the Oxnard Police Department has been using these monocular devices to monitor more than a dozen unspecified yet “problematic” intersections throughout the city.

Officers hope that by remotely monitoring the intersections, they can reduce the number of collisions and red-light offenders.

When a car runs a red light, Officer Sony closes in for a tight shot of the driver’s face and license plate. A ticket is issued and the photograph and citation are mailed to the offending party.

According to Officer Brian McDonald, Oxnard’s chief traffic enforcer, the little guys have been doing pretty well.

In six months, the department has issued about 3,000 citations in this manner, each demanding more than $100. They’ve also recorded collisions, which McDonald said has proved invaluable for accident investigators.

“We once were able to correct a report that blamed the wrong driver for an accident,” he said. “So that’s been kind of an added bonus.”

They even caught a suspected car thief.

Remember that the next time it’s 3 a.m. and you’re waiting at a red light on a deserted road.

“No one’s looking,” you say to yourself. “Why not just do it?”

Because perched on the top of some pole, there’s an eye on you, waiting for that kind of ill-fated decision.

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Dear Street Smart:

Is it possible for you to tell your readers where cameras are mounted on our stoplights?

I’ve been looking around as I travel around throughout the county and I’m not sure what I’m looking for or where I should be looking.

I’d appreciate a little insight into this situation.

Pat Simmen, Camarillo

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Dear Reader:

First of all, there are no traffic cameras in Camarillo. The Sheriff’s Department flirted with the notion of installing a few recently, but opted not to because Camarillo’s drivers don’t run too many red lights.

Patrol officers said the only problems they have with red lights are when they go out. People seem to think, they said, that a blank light means they can charge illegally through an intersection, a dash that often ends in an accident.

Oxnard is the only community where authorities use the cameras to enforce traffic laws.

They were installed last year at 15 intersections with a substantial history of accidents resulting from drivers who disobeyed traffic laws.

Officers would not disclose the cameras’ locations, because they don’t want to “advertise,” but it’s not too hard to figure out where they are.

Officer McDonald said the cameras sit in green boxes resting at the top of utility poles at one corner of the intersection.

So keep your eyes peeled, and when you see one be sure to smile, because you’re on TV.

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Dear Street Smart:

I recently was driving south down PCH when I was involved in a little incident.

While in one of those passing zones, a little sports car passed me on the left, then swerved over into the right lane just in front of me without signaling, and for no apparent reason.

I braked and swerved to prevent an accident while the car sped away.

This made me very angry. There was no reason for the driver to turn into my lane, especially so close to me. I think it was done out of spite.

My question is: What can careful drivers do to teach these kinds of people a lesson when the police aren’t there to see it?

Quinta Grosso, Simi Valley

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Dear Reader:

I know how mad a malicious driver can make you, especially when you think there’s nothing you can do other than hope a police officer will nab him a little farther down the road.

But actually there is something all of us can do: Alert the authorities and tell them what happened.

If you’re able to jot down the license plate number, just give it to the police and they will fire off a tersely worded “Errant Driver Letter,” warning the recipient to drive with more caution.

Police can’t take any legal action, like writing a ticket, but Officer Brian McAllister of the California Highway Patrol said warnings often serve as a healthy reminder for drivers to take more responsibility.

If it happens again, just write a letter or call the appropriate law enforcement agency. Phone numbers and addresses can be found in the government listings near the front of the telephone book.