Bryan Zheng Ms. Rodriguez English 1010-04 14 November 2013 Topic: Should traffic camera be used?

Big Brother Is Not Watching You The book Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, introduced a fictional society where totalitarianism existed. Totalitarianism is the idea that the government has control over every aspect of the life. In George Orwells fictional society, there were always cameras watching everyones moves and big posters everywhere saying, Big Brother is watching you. Any move seen by the government as an act that opposed the law will be reprimanded. Some libertarians might agree that this kind of society is not far from reality. Comparing it to the modern day world, there are indeed cameras everywhere: in banks, homes, and public streets. There are also signs that inform and warn people that cameras are going to record them. The purposes of these cameras are not to spy on everyones life; its purpose is to catch people in the act of committing a crime. While it seems reasonable, why there might be a camera in bank or home due to security reasons, but for a traffic camera to be recording the public might seems unconstitutional to some people. The usage of traffic cameras will promote safer driving habits, enforce traffic laws more efficiently, and will allow police officers to focus on other public safety hazards. Traffic cameras motivate drivers to drive more cautiously when drivers know that law enforcement cameras are everywhere. There are traffic cameras at intersections and highways; the ones at the intersections are for red light running and the ones on the highway are for speeding. Red light running is an issue. Studies by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show

Zheng 2 that In 2011, 714 people were killed and an estimated 118,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running (iish.org). This study reveals that even though police officers enforce traffic laws, this is obviously not enough to motivate drivers to be more cautious. Thus, the best solution to motivate drivers to drive safely is by constant traffic law enforcement. Studies have shown that traffic cameras have motivated drivers to be more cautious, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety compared large cities with red light cameras to those without found the devices reduced the fatal red light running crash rate by 24 percent and the rate of all types of fatal crashes at signalized intersections by 17 percent (iish.org). This study shows that traffic cameras are effective in promoting safer driving habits by constant enforcement. Police officers need rest they cannot be working all day without breaks, while traffic cameras can work all day every day. Overtime the camera will need maintenance and that would cost the city money, which paid with the money the city receives from the tickets. Instead of assigning paid law enforcement officers to watch over intersections, traffic cameras do the same job without pay. The use of traffic cameras will allow police officers to be at places that are more important rather than just sit at a traffic light intersection waiting for someone to run a red light or go over the speed limit. As Passetti claims, Traditional police methods cannot safely and efficiently address the increasing frequency of drivers violating (running) red lights (Passetti Jiii). The traffic cameras are calibrated, allowing it to capture drivers who disobey the traffic laws; by recording speed, the time when the light changes, the position of the car when the light changes, and it takes a picture of the car with its license plate. Comparing traffic cameras to traditional police methods, police officers cannot be as precise as a traffic camera; police officers would have to use personal judgment to determine if a driver has committed a traffic violation.

Zheng 3 Therefore, it would be reasonable to have a traffic camera enforce at an intersection rather than a police officer. Some might argue that the use of a camera in public violates the Bill of Rights and that it violates the privacy of the driver or public bystanders. The Fourth amendment protects the right to privacy and it prevents search and seizure without a warrant. Traffic cameras do not violate the Bill of Rights since there is a reason why the camera is taking a photo and it is because there is a vehicle that is running a red light. As Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states, Driving is a regulated activity, and people who obtain licenses are agreeing to abide by certain rules (iish.org). If a police officer were to take the place of the camera, the police officer would have easily done what the camera would have done. A law enforcement officer would just not be able to enforce the law constantly. In addition, traffic cameras do not violate the privacy of bystanders, traffic cameras are not programed to capture video of bystanders nor do traffic cameras intentional have their lens facing directly at a sidewalk or at a public place. Also all traffic cameras are place near the streets, streets are public areas, and if someone wants privacy then they should go home. If people expect to be completely private of something then they should not be in a public place. Traffic cameras are no different from police officers except traffic cameras are more efficient in for catching those who run red lights. Traffic cameras provide safer roads by motivating drivers to drive cautiously at intersections without police officers on duty. Traffic cameras is a method the government uses to keep watch of crimes and not a sign of totalitarianism like in George Orwells book Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four, the government used hidden cameras placed inside peoples homes to catch people who commit a crime against the government thus having no privacy at all. Now modern day government, they use cameras in public to catch those who

Zheng 4 commit crimes; privacy is not violated since public places are not private places. Without traffic cameras, more police officers are going to be assigned to monitor traffic intersections, thus having fewer officers to take care of more important crimes such as a robbery or a killing. In addition, police officers cannot constantly monitor an intersection, which means that there will be an occasion when someone runs a red light they will not reprimanded. Traffic cameras are an efficient way to enforce traffic laws and promote safer roads.

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Works Cited Passetti, Karl A., Joseph M. McDermott, and Thomas Hicks. "USE OF AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT FOR RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS." N.p., Aug. 1997. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. "Red Light Running." Topic Overview. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.