Moses Lake 'traffic safety'

A couple of weeks ago I was visiting the otherwise fair city of Moses Lake and was entrapped to the tune of $112 by one of their intersection photo ticketing machines.

I say “entrapped” because I revisited the intersection and took a video of the yellow-red transition and timed the yellow at barely two seconds. I then went to another non-photo-enforced traffic light a block away and timed that yellow at a solid four seconds. Not only is this photo light out of step with similar lights but two seconds is insufficient time for a safe stop. The national standard calls for a minimum yellow time of three and a half seconds at any intersection and up to six seconds for higher speed limits.

This automated ticketing system is operated by a for-profit corporation in Arizona. While I support efforts toward traffic safety this amounts to cheating and is obviously designed for revenue production, not safety. I would argue that it is even a detriment to safety as it increases the chance of someone getting rear-ended in a panic stop.

The primary role of a municipal police department is to protect its citizens, not operate shakedown rackets. I’m surprised there has not been a class action lawsuit over this abuse.

David Johnson

Elk, Wash.