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A recent study shows that traffic cameras are causing an increase in car crashes:
...The most extensive U.S. study of intersection photo enforcement released in July by the North Carolina A&T University’s Urban Transit Institute found, “The results do not support the conventional wisdom expressed in recent literature and popular press that red-light cameras reduce accidents … Our findings are more pessimistic, finding no change in angle accidents and large increases in rear-end crashes and many other types of crashes relative to other intersections.”
Evidently people slam on their brakes near intersections that have cameras, to avoid possibly getting photographed, and this causes an increase in rear-end crashes.
The government tries things all the time that don’t work. But of course, politicians don’t like to admit errors—in part because the press and their political opponents then use this to rake them over the coals.
It takes public attention to get officials to admit to these kinds of mistakes. And some understanding and forgiveness on the part of the public for such well-intentioned errors, would make it much easier for them to do.
I know some may read this and think, “Forgiveness for politicians? What’s that all about?” Surely it’s an unusual thought. But we’re all human, and we all make mistakes. Everyone deserves some forgiveness once in a while—even politicians.
