To further Nassau County’s goal of traffic safety through the use of red-light cameras, please let Chris Minstron, Nassau County Traffic Safety Board Director know that adding signage to the intersections with red light cameras would increase safety by emphasizing that the next intersection’s use of cameras to enforce traffic laws.
The one sign that I have seen is located as one approaches old Country Road southbound on Glen Cove Road. That sign provides a visual reminder to the drivers to be extra careful of all traffic rules enforced at the intersection in order to not be snared by a red light camera.
Besides exercising extra caution concerning stopping in time for yellow/red lights, one must also be careful about having stopped long enough (i.e. – 3 seconds) before making right turns at intersections despite this not being part of the New York State Traffic Safety Laws.
One can also be in trouble if one has not stopped behind a white line at the intersection. Making left turns after the signal has turned yellow are also risky due to the variations in the length of time of the yellow left turn signal before it turns red.
Not having signs at intersection controlled with cameras foregoes the opportunity to stress safety, while it might snare more drivers who could be unaware of the traffic control devices being in use at the intersection.
Please ask Mr. Minstron why so few intersections in Nassau County controlled by red-light cameras have signs to announce their presence when that simple action would improve their effectiveness for the sake of safety.
Could it be that the County is trading off safety in favor of increased revenues?
Newsday recently offered statistics released by the counties about the effect of red-light cameras in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. While overall accident rates had declined, rear-end collision had increased due to drivers stopping for yellow lights being rear-ended by other drivers who did not expect them to stop but instead to barrel through the intersection on the yellow light.
Over time, the revenues generated by the red-light cameras decrease as the drivers learn to not be caught repeatedly in the snares set with the blessings of the county legislators who are hungry for the additional revenues to spend on their pet projects.
Are the legislators serving the best interests of their constituents whom they are supposed to represent or are they intent on milking them like cows and acting like jack-booted martinets rising herd over them?
Joseph A. Hobel
Garden City
