The Wall Street Journal botched this story "Get the Feeling You're Being Watched - If You're Driving, You Just Might Be. Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading -- And Sparking Road Rage" This story was botched as they did not do their homework with regards to cameras in operation. "Suppliers estimate that there are now slightly over 3,000 red-light and speed cameras in operation in the U.S., up from about 2,500 a year ago".
This number is incorrect and it's more like 5,000-6,000 red light cameras in operation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that at the end of last year, 345 U.S. jurisdictions were using red-light cameras, up from 243 in 2007 and 155 in 2006. The Insurance Institute of Highway safety has never published an article on the topic of red light cameras or speed cameras and they are cited as the source for this information as well. I am not sure how much credibility this organization has with regards to regulation, tracking of locations, and souring of for this information.
Also, I think RedFlex gave the WSJ a bogus number of 3000 cameras operating in the U.S. so it made it look like they have a bigger market share than they actually do. Did they talk to ATS, Nestor, ACS, RedSpeed, LaserCraft, Traffipax, Gatso, and Transcore? Did they talk to any cities that have purchased cameras and operate them without the management services of these companies? Many cities have purchased cameras and do not use a large company to operate them.
See our comparison grid wiki of red light camera operators
I am also disappointed the writer did not highlight the discrepancies in fines across the U.S. that range from $50-$500.
I am also not sure if the WSJ actually talked to customers who used the Plate Blocker?
read more