Traffic Cameras To Begin Issuing Tickets, Are Drivers Ready?

According to CBS2, the long-debated, off-and-on traffic camera saga continues. The city council has cleared the way.

The cameras will turn on Saturday, June 1 and for the first month, tickets will be sent out with a warning. The grace period ends July 1, when anyone caught on camera driving at 11 miles per hour or more over the speed limit will get the real deal.

As you probably know, the cameras have been part of a heated discussion in the court of public opinion--and actual court--for years. Cedar Rapids police stopped issuing the tickets two years ago but the cameras kept collecting data on driving habits.

That data shows that once tickets stopped, speeding and crashes increased.

Much of the public still hates the cameras, mainly because the owner of the car gets the ticket even if someone else is driving and doing the speeding. Police say their data on decreased speeding and increased safety with the cameras watching is convincing enough to turn them on.

[Via CBS2]