Kentucky State Police has a new tool: automated cameras in construction zones. Excellent idea. With seven Kentuckians killed in work zones last year, our failure to police ourselves has deadly consequences. The new system flags speeders for a state trooper, who then issues a ticket.
Some drivers claim a $500 fine for speeding is unfair to those struggling financially. No, it's exactly fair. It is a direct consequence of a choice. Follow the law, and the price of the ticket is a non-issue.
A few years ago, I was driving to work on Olympic Boulevard in L.A. I was distracted for a moment by a guy who stumbled on the sidewalk. I thought he was going to fall. He didn't, but it was enough of a distraction that I entered an intersection just as the light turned red. The cameras flashed, and I got a ticket in the mail with a picture of me in the driver's seat. I was upset but not at the system. I had failed. I deserved it. There was nothing unfair about it.
The complaint about fairness is a symptom of a deeper problem in our society: a profound lack of personal accountability. But that's another issue for another day. Today, I support these automated cameras in construction zones. They will save lives.
I'm Bill Lamb, and that's my Point of View.
