By Richard Tedesco
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi has proposed the installation of cameras at 50 high-risk intersections throughout Nassau County, including six problematic south shore locations.
"They are powerful tools that will help us reduce the number of car accidents and car accident-deaths, while giving us the ammunition we need to go after dangerous scofflaws."
More than 500 accidents occurred between 2000 and 2005 at two locations on the Lawrence/Inwood border, at Nassau Expressway and Bay Blvd., and Nassau Expressway and Burnside Ave. Two other Five Towns intersections, at Peninsula Ave. and Mill Road, and Peninsula and Woodmere Blvd., also made the list of the county's list of the worst 50 intersections, along with two along Long Beach Road, at Mott Rd. and Daly Blvd.
"We believe we'll see the number of accidents at those intersections diminished," said Timothy Driscoll, deputy county executive for public safety, who said the county would be working on a plan to prioritize camera installations.
That's assuming the state legislature approves a plan to permit the county to implement installation of the cameras, which are programmed to snap a photo of a car's license plate if that car has entered the intersection after the traffic light has turned red. The car's owner would automatically receive a fine demand for the infraction, which would not add points to the driver's record.
"It's about time," said Teri Pearsal, president of the Inwood Civic Association. "That would really help to slow people down."
Nassau County legislator Jeffrey Toback (D-Oceanside) agrees that the red light snapshots will be an effective way to curb reckless red light runners: "The time has come to use the best technology to try and make our streets safer."
State Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) said he suspected the plan was "simply a fund raiser for the county" that was "cloaked in the guise of safety."
He said he hadn't seen any detailed data demonstrating a need for the technology. And he voiced a civil rights concern: "We should always be leery of 'Big Brother' creeping into our lives."
The technology is expected to cost approximately $120,000 per camera, although requests for proposals from vendors would need to be solicited before final costs could be determined. The county could also opt to lease the cameras.
New York City has used the red light cameras at some intersections since 1993.
More than 200 municipalities make use of the red light cameras nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which claims the frequency of accidents has been reduced at intersections where the camera are installed.
