The issue of traffic cameras was once a subject of intense pressure, with the promise that they would magically solve the major problem of road safety, or at the very least, contribute significantly to the reduction of fatal and serious accidents.
There is certainly no rational person who would disagree that the proper installation and operation of cameras on roads could decisively help address the serious issue of human lives being lost on the roads—a problem that has reached nightmarish proportions.
Nor can anyone, in good faith, dispute the need for those who break the law to be held accountable, especially when we mourn the loss of fellow citizens almost daily, often due to human negligence rather than chance. Up to this point, things are clear.
However, from this point to the other reality, where so many people feel that there is more of a “chaotic mess” with the cameras, the narrative changes.
From their placement in certain locations (e.g., where speed limits suddenly change) to the way they operate (e.g., the timing of right turn arrows at intersections), a different picture emerges.
Even the volume and timing of fines issued give rise to the perception that the state’s revenue-collection practices take precedence over genuine concern for reducing accidents.
After all, the numbers speak for themselves: in the first half of 2023, there were 19 fatalities compared to 26 this year.
Apart from the fatalities, the data also shows an increase in minor accidents since the installation of the system.
Notably, from the beginning of the year until the end of last month, around 158,000 fines were issued (102,000 for speeding, 35,000 for running red lights, etc.).
As for a camera catching a violation in 2022 and the fine arriving in 2024, that is yet another troubling story, even if considered an isolated incident.
With the ongoing development of the system, there is an urgent need to reassess speed limits across nearly the entire road network, as there are many inconsistencies.
There are roads, even in neighbourhoods and unmonitored avenues, where vehicles race at such dangerous speeds that one might reasonably ask: where are the cameras?
We believe that the police—who have repeatedly proven their sensitivity—are also willing to improve the entire system, which currently shows many flaws.
Beyond the need for the system to function correctly, citizens must also feel confident that they are not being “trapped” or suspect ulterior motives related to the state’s revenue collection.
Instead, they should be sure that the focus is solely and exclusively on road safety.
