OOIDA Call to Action - Virginia Members
February 1, 2007

02/01/07-Attention: Virginia truckers! Legislation moving through the statehouse would bring red-light cameras back to the state. It is extremely important to speak out against this revenue-generating mechanism.
The Virginia Senate this week approved a pair of bills related to "photo-red" enforcement while the House Transportation Committee approved a similar version.
SB871 would permit counties, cities or towns throughout the state to install cameras at up to 25 intersections to catch red-light runners.
SB829 is more limited. It would authorize cameras to be posted at intersections in Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Virginia Beach, the town of Vienna, and Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Each locality would be authorized to post cameras at up to 25 intersections.
HB1778 would limit localities use of the cameras to one per 10,000 residents.
Supporters of photo-red enforcement say it encourages compliance with the law and saves lives by reducing collisions. But don't be fooled. A study paid for by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed rear-end crashes actually increased in cities with red-light cameras, as motorists stopped abruptly at yellow lights to avoid tickets.
Not to mention the fact that the motivation of every player in this deal is economics. Whether it's the local jurisdiction or the manufacturer, that's not reasonable justification for posting these cameras.
Please take time now to contact your delegate about your concerns on this issue. For contact information, visit http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform and fill out the address request.
You can also call the OOIDA Membership Department at 1-800-444-5791 and they can pull up the information for you.