Letters to the Editor: Dangerous driving is everywhere. Are red-light cameras a solution?

To the editor: My daily bicycle commute includes crossing one busy road at a signal. As I wait for the green, my hobby is to guess whether someone will run a red light today. On average, about one out of five rush-hour signal changes sees a violation.

Nevertheless, I do not believe the red-light cameras advocated by transportation researcher Miriam Pinski are an appropriate solution. Robot enforcement violates the due process of law and can’t even reliably identify the offending driver.

Instead, we need specialized, unarmed traffic enforcement officers deployed in numbers large enough to ensure that scofflaws will quickly learn that ignoring the rules doesn’t save time. You don’t even need fines; you just need to delay people enough to annoy them.

Geoff Kuenning, Claremont

..

To the editor: Ever since I was a teenager back in the 1960s, I’ve told myself this mantra when venturing into the street, whether driving, biking or walking: “The drivers don’t see me, and if they do see me, they’ll aim for me.”

I’m being half facetious, but I always wait for a big break in traffic before crossing. Also, I never take my eyes off approaching traffic, even when I’m crossing with a signal.

Jeanette Barcroft, Camarillo

..

To the editor: There have been countless times recently when I’ve witnessed bad (illegal) behavior by other motorists.

I’ve thought, if we had dashcams, common in other countries and getting more common here, and had a place to send footage of scofflaws, and those offenders could be held accountable based on that footage, drivers might act more responsibly.

Nanny state? Maybe, but it looks like we need a nanny to enforce the consequences of our bad behavior.

William Turner, Sherman Oaks