Posted on: Friday, January 25, 2002

Editorial
Cut profit incentive for private speed trap

Despite the tsunami of traffic camera surveillance rage, it's highly doubtful that the state will pull the plug on its pilot program to nab and fine speeders and red-light runners. But some key lawmakers have indicated a will to "iron out the wrinkles" of the program. So now's a good time to weigh in on the issue if you want improvements.

We suggest the state start by changing its contract with Affiliated Computer Services to pay a flat fee to the Dallas-based company that is operating and maintaining the hidden cameras. As it stands, the company makes $29.25 for each citation issued. That system provides an incentive for the vendor to issue as many tickets as possible, and that undermines the credibility of the program.

Last year, a San Diego Superior Court judge tossed out some 290 speeding tickets out of concern that motorists might be exploited by a privatized speed trap. A group of motorists sued the city, which contracts with Lockheed Martin IMS, which has since been bought out by ACS.

And consider the case of Washington, D.C., where ACS has operated a photo-radar camera program to catch speeders since August. In that time, the District has collected more than $5.3 million in speeding fines. As in Hawai'i, ACS receives about $29 for each ticket, which adds up. More than 160,000 drivers in Washington have received speeding citations in the past five months.

But concern over the profit-per-ticket system has spurred the District to negotiate a flat-fee contract with ACS. We hope Hawai'i has the sense to do the same. We can't stress enough how important it is for motorists to trust that these high-tech traffic cops are not out to exploit us.

All things considered, this is not the time for state transportation bureaucrats to dig in their heels in hopes that motorists will adjust to automated speed traps. The commuter stress level, at least on O'ahu, is way too high for that. The state's campaign to make Hawai'i roads safer may well be a noble one, but it's abundantly clear that it's still in the experimental stage.

Transportation officials and lawmakers shouldn't forget that.