Traffic vans have
some supporters

Several motorists share their
support for photo enforcement

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

There are motorists out there who support the controversial traffic photo enforcement program. They just haven't been as loud as the most vocal critics of the program, including several state lawmakers.

"There's a silent majority out there who feels exactly the way I do," said Hawaii Kai resident Les Yanagi.

"All they're doing is enforcing the current speed limit. ... Obviously, we haven't been following the speed limit. Now everybody is up in arms," Yanagi said.

Last week, three Senate committees voted in favor of a bill to repeal the program. The bill is set to go to the Ways and Means Committee.

Yanagi disagreed with lawmakers who want to remove the camera vans from state roadways.

"It's a little premature to get rid of the cams. The cams have only been enforced for a month now. I don't think four weeks is long enough to fully determine the cams are doing what they say they are," said Yanagi, who commutes daily to Pearl City from Hawaii Kai.

Yanagi also believes that the registered owner should be responsible for the citations whether or not the owner is driving the vehicle.

Photo citations are similar to insurance policies, he added. A registered owner is responsible for any injuries involving their vehicle, Yanagi said.

Though Yanagi believes motorists should abide by the posted speed limit, he said he would support a threshold of 5 mph. "I don't think someone should argue you are going six miles (over the speed limit)," he said.

Manoa resident Grant Merritt also disagreed with legislators who want to repeal the program.

"To bail is to blow it and to cave in on the whiners," Merritt said.

"I think the program needs some fine-tuning. There's some latitude and some leeway," he said.

Merritt also said less tailgating has occurred since the inception of the traffic camera program on state roadways.

"Almost everybody slowed down. You can't argue with that," Merritt said.

Leslie Allen, who commutes from Kaneohe to Pearl City daily, agreed with Merritt about motorists who tailgate other motorists.

"It's a zoo out there," said Allen, who works at Leeward Community College.

Since the traffic camera program was administered, the roads have been safer, she said.

But defense attorney Brook Hart said the program was set up to create "speed traps."

"We have many roads where the speed limit is unfairly low," Hart said.

The H-1 freeway toward University Avenue moves from 50 mph to 45 mph and immediately to 50 mph, Hart said.

"The program is completely flawed," Hart said. "The people in charge, they have a profit motive to write more tickets." The vendor, Affiliated Computer Systems, is paid $29.75 per ticket issued.

"We shouldn't be adopting a program where a majority of the people are completely opposed to and which on its face doesn't appear to be fair," said Hart.

"Ultimately, the government has to have the consent of the governed to be effective," he said.