It’s been two decades since the “van cam” enforcement against speeding drivers — derisively dubbed the “Talivan” by incensed motorists — was implemented and then quickly abandoned.
Now cameras to enforce traffic rules are returning to local streets, but this time the prospects appear better.
The state Department of Transportation intends to install cameras to catch drivers running red lights at 10 busy intersections in urban Honolulu. The license plates of vehicles running red lights will be caught on camera; the registered owner will receive the citation.
It’s hoped that the $2.8 million pilot project will induce motorists to drive more carefully, thus reducing the number of serious accidents at these known trouble spots. The automated cameras could provide 24/7 enforcement, replacing police officers who may be needed elsewhere.
And we all know the rules: Don’t enter an intersection if the light is red, unless it’s legal to do so (such as making a right-hand turn after a complete stop, yielding to pedestrians, unless otherwise indicated).
Even so, there will be time to get used to the idea. Before the scheduled activation in May, the suitability of the 10 intersections and four alternates will be evaluated. A public awareness campaign will be launched well before activation. Signs will be posted alerting motorists to the presence of the cameras. And for the first 30 days, motorists will receive warnings instead of citations.
The fine is $200 for the first citation, with higher fines for subsequent violations. Revenues would be used to support the program. Unlike the van cams, in which the vendor received a cut of the citation money — increasing the incentive to churn out tickets, even if road safety was not improved — the red-light camera vendor gets a flat fee.
What could go wrong? Well, a couple of things.
Since the driver of the car may not be the registered owner — the one who gets the ticket — some citations could be contested.
More significantly, some studies of red-light cameras suggest that the number of rear-end collisions could actually increase, as drivers anxious to avoid a ticket screech to a halt instead of (legally) continuing through the intersection on a yellow light. Still, given the relatively low traffic speeds on Honolulu’s city streets, it seems likely that rear-end accidents would present a lower risk of injury than a T-bone collision at full speed in an intersection.
The bottom line: Motorists should drive with care, slowing down when approaching intersections. After all, the success of the program will be measured not by the number of tickets issued, but by the number that are avoided.
