Red-light cameras are unethical, illegal

Photo enforcement traffic tickets are an unethical and arguably illegal method of getting revenue for the city. No doubt it will hurt tourism as travelers come into the city on Interstate 380 and get multiple tickets.

Some motorists have fought photo enforcement tickets in other cities and won. Most recently, in Aventura, Fla., a case was won because the judge ruled “only the state legislature can pass laws regarding traffic violations.” That ruling might open the flood gates to challenges in other cities.

As a resident of Cedar Rapids for many years, these are my reasons for opposing traffic cameras:

-- There is no independent verification that photo enforcement improves highway safety, reduces overall accidents or improves traffic flow.

-- There is no certifiable witness to the alleged violation. There is no “accuser” for motorists to confront, which is a constitutional right.

-- The owner of the ticketed vehicle gets the ticket, even if the owner was not driving.

-- Under the guise of protecting motorists' privacy, the court or private contractor that sends out the tickets often refuses to send a copy of the photo. This is really because many photos do not clearly depict the driver.

Because of the “reasonable doubt” created by these four issues, I believe it's unethical as well as illegal to issue tickets based solely on photo enforcement. Get rid of red light cameras.

Ed Lowry

Cedar Rapids