Automated Enforcement Technologies May Be the Least Bad Option

[Proper regulation is key.] Watch just about any traffic light in the Boston area until the signal changes, and you’ll almost certainly see one or even multiple cars blatantly running a red. It’s endemic, and it’s awful, yet nothing is done about it. The police have abdicated their responsibility for enforcing traffic laws and drivers know it. Everyone is less safe because of it. As a result, I find myself supporting the legalization of automated enforcement technologies like red light cameras. I don’t like it, but I like it more than the current reality on the ground. On a very related note, there’s been a lot of discussion about the enormous potential for abuse in automated license plate readers (LPRs). The privacy hawks at the ACLU of Massachusetts have written a useful piece contrasting LPRs against speed and red light cameras.Link: https://www.aclum.org/news/were-privacy-hawks-heres-why-were-alarmed-by-license-plate-readers-and-not-necessarily-by-speed-cameras/