Originally Posted by
Koyote
For one, they are mostly operated by private contractors on a for-profit basis, which obviously creates a conflict of interest.
Some years ago, Car and Driver magazine did a big article about red-light cameras. One of the most interesting points they raised was how the contract with the city guarantees a certain minimum revenue raised each year from tickets. In a few cities, revenue fell short.... So the solution was to shorten the yellow-light interval so that more people would get tickets! Unfortunately, the side effect from shortening the yellows was a noticeable increase in crashes at those intersections.