Footage from LRP Red Light Camera Protest on May 8th
KANSAS CITY, MO. – People pushing for a proposed law banning red-light cameras in Missouri rallied for support in Kansas City Saturday. A red light camera ban already has passed the state senate.
There are 29 red light cameras across Kansas City. And every time one of them flashes a photo, a vehicle owner gets a $100 ticket in the mail. The city claims the cameras have made intersections safer, citing police statistics showing a drop in the number of accidents at these locations.
“It is a proven program, that it works, the police are very supportive of it,” said Steve Glorioso, former aide to the mayor. “It frees up officers to fight crime, violent crime, burglary, etc. And yet, it allows the city a way and the police a way to cut down on people violating our traffic laws.”
But a group calling itself The Liberty Restoration Project said red-light cameras are all about seeing green for municipalities and vendors that sell them. Supporters of a red-light camera ban say there more effective ways to make intersections safer that don’t cost drivers a dime.
“If you extend the yellow light times by one second, it reduces accidents by 70 to 80 percent,” said Tracy Ward, protester. “All red, which means all the streetlights are red for an extra half a second also increases safety in intersections, it doesn’t cost taxpayers any extra money.”
The state transportation bill currently includes a prohibition on photo red light enforcement systems. Supporters believe there’s a good chance lawmakers will pass it, and then it will be up to the governor.
