Psych 409a: November 28, 2006

Technology Policing

By:  Kirk Ishida

 

Instructions for this activity are found at:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/g25-oral1.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

Peter Rothe, editor (2002). Driving Lessons: Exploring Systems That Make Traffic Safer. (Edmonton: University Of Alberta Press). Reviewing pgs.291-312.

I.                    Red light cameras

a.       Automated system designed to photograph vehicles in violation of running the light

b.      Used as a traffic surveillance after the incident they receive their ticket

c.       It is used to find high risk drivers

d.      Justifying the red light cameras

                                                               i.      Driving through intersections are problematic

                                                             ii.      Bad drivers run through lights

                                                            iii.      We rather get a ticket then get injured

e.       Scanning the research

                                                               i.      Reasons for researching red-light cameras

1.      produce a cost-benefit analysis

a.       see if it would pay for itself

2.      to help accident rates

3.      to get it socially acceptable

4.      to improve the red light camera program

f.        Social impact

                                                               i.      Effectiveness of traffic regulations can be measured in terms of social acceptance

1.      3 types of red runners

a.       Drivers caught in a dilemma because of traffic or indecision

b.      Drivers who can’t stop comfortably so they run it

c.       Those who run it because they can, knowingly breaking the law

d.      First two drivers are not high risk drivers

g.       Matter of ethics

                                                               i.      Is it for the interest of insurance companies benefiting from tickets given

                                                             ii.      Is it the balance between individual and social good

1.      many people regard safe intersections as more important then government surveillance

                                                            iii.      Privacy

1.      Most pronounced ethical feature

2.      people feel the program dehumanizes us

h.       Economic implications

                                                               i.      Before the red light operation it cost a lot more money

1.      Multiple people had to be in the area to tag people

                                                             ii.      Allows police to focus on the other things

i.         Conclusion

                                                               i.      Effective in reducing red running crashes and red light violators

                                                             ii.      We can’t isolate other factors involved in this process

 

Links:

http://www.motorists.com/issues/enforce/index.html is a site that opposes red light camera enforcement and provides points on why they feel this way.  They also propose alternative methods which I think is very important if you feel different about a subject.

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.html is a site that has frequently asked questions about what red light cameras are and why they are used.  They ask questions I think most people would want to know and find it very informative.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/crt/lifecycle/redlight.cfm is a website that provides background information about red light cameras, why they have it and what they are.  They also give statistics that give actual data how the red light cameras affected them.

My Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409af2006/ishida/ishida-home.htm

Class Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/classhome-g25.htm