Readers still seeing red about fines from surveillance cameras

Ever since working with colleague Joe Ryan on our "Seeing Red" series about the growth spurt of red-light cameras in the suburbs, I've been a changed person.

Or at least I make a conscious effort to make a full stop at red lights before turning right. We found that most of the tickets going to drivers are for rolling right on reds. Interestingly, as I stopped on a red while turning right from Butterfield Road onto I-355 this week, I got a chorus of honks from the drivers behind me.

Drivers are also sounding off in e-mails on the issue, and I'm going to share a few.

• Dan McGuire of Arlington Heights is still smarting from his $100 ticket in Elk Grove Village.

He writes, "My neighbor is a police officer for Arlington Heights and told me I have to pay it because they have you on video running it. That I have no chance of beating it. That they were unchallengable because of the video.

"The thing is, I did stop, but it was after the white line. YOU HAVE TO GO PAST THE WHITE LINE TO SEE PAST THE CARS THAT ARE STOPPED !!! You have no choice. You can't see if there is any oncoming traffic if you don't.

"Elk Grove must be making a fortune on that intersection ALONE !!! "

• Chicagoan Joe Clarkson's daughter, Maggie, received a ticket for a right turn on red in West Chicago at Route 59 and Route 64. He writes, "I'm all for safety, but there was nothing, absolutely nothing unsafe about my daughter's right turn on red.

"In fact, any city engineer with half a brain would have installed a green arrow to allow vehicles in the dedicated right-turn lane to turn right when the circumstances are safe, which includes two scenarios: one is when the traffic in that direction already has a green light to proceed straight anyway and the other is when the left-turn traffic on the cross street has the left-turn arrow.

"Most other intersections have it set up this way - just not in West Chicago!"

• Michael Pazar of Villa Park says, "I for one can't believe more people are not outraged on where this is headed. If we don't draw a line in the sand here and now, local, state, and national governments will continue to expand under the false pretense of public safety - ultimately eroding our personal freedom.

"I have not received a red-light ticket yet but know it is only a matter of time. More cameras are going up and I like everyone else (including patrol cars) need to creep up to see if we truly want to go right on red.

"I firmly believe this is, without doubt, a cash grab by both the red-light companies and local governments.

"One additional comment. In nearly all of the Daily Herald articles you allow proponents of the right turn on red cameras to state accidents as a whole have decreased since the installation of the cameras.

"Accident levels are being compared to traffic levels three years ago when the economy was going gangbusters. We all know the installation of the cameras coincide with the economic downturn."

• Harry Bloom of Schaumburg writes, "I am a law-abiding citizen who drives about 25,000 miles yearly and for the first time I can remember, I am furious! I vote, serve jury duty, and take my responsibilities living in the USA seriously.

"These rash of revenue-generating substitutes (why not just raise taxes for paying for the excesses of government?) is outrageous. I received in the mail, one of the red-light tickets for the entry ramp onto I-355 at Biesterfield Road; a ramp I use almost daily during the week.

"I am aware that the 'Gotcha' system is there. Yet, I cut my stop short to avoid what I saw in my mirror as a van that was closing too quickly behind me one morning.

"I was convinced that it would be dismissed if I attended the hearing. What a sham!

"We are about to lose our rights as Americans! They basically said that since they were able to pass local laws and change the status of this from a criminal issue to a civil one we no longer are subject to our rights afforded us by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights and if we want to appeal to a "criminal" court, the costs begin to escalate."

• Finally, Dorothy from Kildeer sent a handwritten letter saying "I've witnessed countless times the abuse of right turns on red. If a fine is incurred for these haphazard drivers, so be it. Better yet, abolish the right-hand turn on red altogether. Safety first."