Dear editor:
Everyone hates getting a traffic ticket. But let’s be honest — we all speed.
The truth is, automated speed cameras are one of the fairest tools we have. They don’t care if you’re rich or poor, who you know, or how good you are at talking your way out of a ticket. They just enforce the law — consistently and impartially.
People think they’re unfair not because they are, but because they work. A police officer might let you off with a warning. A camera doesn’t. That’s the point.
Calls to turn them off during the summer, or make the signs bigger, miss the mark. The goal isn’t to help drivers avoid getting caught — it’s to help people slow down, all the time. You can’t build a culture of safety if enforcement only kicks in when it’s convenient.
Of course, cities need to own their role, too. We’ve spent decades designing roads that prioritize speed over safety — wide lanes, big turning radii, fast-moving arterials. It’s no surprise people treat them like highways.
If we want real change, it’s not just about cameras or tickets. It’s about reshaping the expectations we’ve built into our streets — and the habits we carry behind the wheel.
As for speed bumps, unfortunately, they are not practical in winter months when it comes to snow removal. The speed bumps and the snow blades are both damaged easily during snow removal.
As a further comment, if someone sees adherence to the laws as boot-licking, then the issue at play here may be more fundamental.
Frank Hayes
NOTL
