Will NJ DOT Reign in the Red Light Camera Progam? [AUDIO]
New Jersey's leading anti-red light camera crusader says HD videos taken at several red light camera intersections all over the Garden State show yellow light times are shorter than they should be, which is leading to more red light camera tickets being issued.
"In many instances, yellow light times that have been cut by two-tenths of a second, which is increasing the number of red light tickets by at least 30 percent. these people are innocent under the law, and it's the municipality and the camera company that's breaking the law when they issue those tickets," says Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon.
"You would expect towns to be diligent about making sure yellow light times are calibrated correctly, but their appetite for your money and the camera companies is so voracious, they rolled the dice."
O'Scanlon wonders out loud "the engineers that certified these lights as being accurate- were they incompetent? Did they sign off on something that was inaccurate - was the light timing manipulated after the sign-off?"
"We are just grossly abusing the motorists of New Jersey. They don't deserve it, they are not causing a hazard."
O'Scanlon says the New Jersey Department of Transportation has already taken a stand on this issue.
"Any light that is shown to have a short yellow will be removed, will be taken out of this program and shut down. We expect every single one we can document to be shut down."
He adds the best thing to do now that the credibility of the program has been destroyed would be "to shut the program down completely - that would be wisest and fairest thing to do for the motorists of New Jersey."
"Lets see what he provides us. Let us take a look at it and we'll take it from there," a DOT Spokesman said. "We welcome the video evidence - we truly appreciate his concerns."
Video Clip # | Municipality | Intersection | Cross Street | Steady Yel. | Listed Yel. Time | VIMEO |
95852 | Union | Rt 82 | 509 (Morris) | 3.892 Sec | 4.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72668818 |
100050 | Union | 509 (Morris) | Rt 82/Left Turn | 2.895 Sec | 3.0 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72668817 |
104819 | Jersey City | Rt. 1-9 | Sip | 3.753 Sec | 4.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72667664 |
110005 | Jersey City | Communipaw Ave | JFK | 2.820 Sec | 3.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72667336 |
112447 | Newark | Market | Raymond | 3.872 Sec | 4.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72667663 |
120758 | Springfield | Rt. 82 | Maple | 3.861 Sec | 4.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72668815 |
121138 | Springfield | Maple NB | Rt. 82 | 2.903 Sec | 3.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72667667 |
123047 | Roselle Park | RT 28 (Westfield Ave) | Locust Street | 3.864 Sec | 4.00 Sec | https://vimeo.com/72667665 |