Recently a red light camera was placed at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street. I have always been opposed to red light cameras but I understand why they are put up at infamous intersections where lots of accidents occur.

Then, a few weeks ago, they put one another up at 15th and Northwest 80th Street. The appearance of this second one made me feel that I had to speak out against the proliferation of red light cameras in Seattle.

Is there any reason why there needs to be two red light cameras in Ballard? Why indeed, is there the need for any? A draft of a study conducted by the City of Seattle suggests that while the severity of the crashes at these intersections is reduced, they do not reduce the number of accidents overall.

The images and video taken by the cameras are reviewed by a private company in Arizona and if the car is determined to have entered the intersection after the light turns red, a citation of $124 is issued to the owner of the car. The ticket is considered to be like a parking ticket and is not put on your driving record according to the Seattle Police Department’s FAQ on the red light cameras.

The FAQ does not mention cyclists, who are also flagrant violators of red lights.

I have long been against red light cameras not only because I am against increased surveillance of the people by the government for whatever reason and strongly believe that they cause more problems then they solve. But they also disrupt traffic flow and while they may decrease one kind of accident they probably increase the number of rear-end collisions as a result of people slamming on their brakes to avoid getting a ticket.

But there are drivers who, once a red light camera is put up at a particular intersection, will simply find another route around that intersection, thereby increasing traffic on the nearby side streets. If we follow this logic, then it seems like the only way all intersections will be safe is if there is a camera at all of them.

In fact, Seattle City Council Member Nick Licata was quoted in a Seattle newspaper last year as saying he wants red light cameras to be placed at every major intersection in the city. Why not put cameras up in front of all buildings to make sure people are not smoking within 25 feet of the door? Where will all this law enforcement by camera end?

If the city’s own study says that they do not reduce the number of accidents, then they only seem to be there in order to increase revenue. The four original cameras that were part of the pilot program generated nearly a million dollars in revenue the first year they were in operation.

Adding 18 more means millions more in revenue but they also mean a surveillance cameras are placed at many more public locations. Do we really want to have surveillance of our activities increased? Every single surveillance camera, whether put up by a public or private entity, for whatever reason, is another encroachment on our privacy.

If we do not speak out every time another one is put up, we will begin to ignore it and soon we will not notice it even though it notices us. If you do not like this increased surveillance, make your feelings known to Councilman Licata and the rest of the City Council.

Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, going out on the streets is a dangerous activity for pedestrians, cyclists, or drivers. It is up to everyone to make sure that they are paying attention to what they are doing and those who are making the roads hazardous for others should be punished.

Stopping for a red light camera, however, is a Pavlovian reaction created by the fear of being watched and punished by an unblinking eye. You should not obey the law because it is the right thing to do, not because you are scared you will be caught.