Smile at the Red Light!

Watch out--more cameras are cropping up at Riverside's intersections. They recently put one up on the right-turn lanes from Indiana onto Arlington, heading east. I guess too many people were making the turn from the left-most of them during the red light. Make sure to smile the next time you do that as you'll be videotaped.

Some months ago, a realtor I know was caught on tape running a light. Apparently, the video was clear enough to show her grimace as she realized her mistake too late.

I haven't been able to tell yet if the cameras are having any effect on people's habits. I suppose it's a sign of how much Riverside has grown that I now see drivers running red lights on a regular basis. Lots of our streets have speed limits of 45 and 50 miles an hour, yet we have more and more stoplights popping up to control all the cars. And when traffic gets really thick, it's sometimes necessary to wait through 3 or more light changes to make a left turn, so it seems rather inevitable that several cars at the end will run the red. But I can't come up with any ready explanation for the number of cars that just go through even though they haven't had to wait. Is everyone too distracted by the kids, coffee, and omnipresent cell phone? On the other hand, now that drivers know about the cameras, perhaps they're just looking for a moment of fame...

video on Riverside traffic cameras