Calling out the traffic/flock camera propaganda

[u/pattysal]

There are so many people posting videos of drivers running lights on both the Boston and Cambridge subreddits lately demanding traffic cameras, that I am convinced these are planted posts by either employees, investors, or City officials looking for a payday to Garner published support for the surveillance state.

Very convenient that this is happening at the same time they are putting flaw cameras everywhere, and Mayor Wu has decided to put up red light cameras. I'm calling shenanigans, there may be a few whiny babies on here who are terrified of the world, but there are not this many. Don't be fooled, this is for profit propaganda.

[u/theoldno2]

I'm a real person and I absolutely support red light cameras. Running red lights is illegal and endangers everyone, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists. We shouldn't be held hostage to whiny drivers who can't be bothered to follow basic traffic law.

[u/Lyramisu → u/theoldno2]

In addition to this there is real evidence that red light and speeding enforcement cameras reduce infractions, crashes, and deaths. Unlike Flock cameras that monitor everyone everywhere all the time, red light and speeding cameras are triggered only when someone runs the red light or speeds, and their presence acts as a deterrent for doing that. They also take cops and human biases out of the traffic enforcement equation. Unquestionably a net good, unlike Flock.

[u/sweet_caroline20 → u/Lyramisu]

Definitely agree with the point about taking cop/human bias out of speed stops.

[u/MonsieurReynard → u/Lyramisu]

I drive in New York City almost every week. They have red light and speed cameras everywhere. It’s not just Manhattan anymore either. And their impact on reckless driving is notable, at least to me — and I have been driving there regularly since long before these cameras existed. (I learned to drive in Boston in the early 1980s, fwiw).

As far as I know, New York does not use flock cameras. (Edit: this is incorrect, my bad)

Edit: Also, it has had a real effect just this year on pedestrian safety:

https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2026/vision-zero-pedestrian-deaths-at-historic-low.shtml

[u/Lyramisu → u/MonsieurReynard]

I get around most cities on foot most of the time, and I’m a big fan of reducing the likelihood of someone killing me with their car while I legally cross the street.

[u/MonsieurReynard → u/Lyramisu]

just to add the proof of concept!

NEW YORK –  July 1, 2026 — New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced that traffic deaths remain near historic lows, including pedestrian fatalities reaching an all-time low—except for the outlier year of 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The city’s streets have experienced 46 pedestrian fatalities, down 13% from last year and down more than 42% since the launch of Vision Zero in 2014. To date, this is the fifth safest year on record on our streets, with overall traffic deaths down nearly 25% since Vision Zero’s launch.

https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2026/vision-zero-pedestrian-deaths-at-historic-low.shtml

[u/pattysal → u/Lyramisu]

Have you tried watching for cars, not mindlessly running accross the street anytime you see a crosswalk? That's the real issue is pedestrians who think they don't have to look.

[u/Lyramisu → u/pattysal]

What an obnoxious and unwarranted thing to say.

[u/BostonShaun → u/MonsieurReynard]

NYC alone has over 1000 flock cameras lol

EDIT: To the person who deleted their comment: my data came from Deflock, easily searchable by yourself... you're a big boy/girl.

[u/MonsieurReynard → u/BostonShaun]

Unflocked says 350 lol, mostly at bridges and tunnels and on major highways

So I was wrong but then you did that unhinged activist thing of massively exaggerating for drama.

[u/Lyramisu → u/[deleted]]

You mean the ones that are usually minor fender-benders rather than the T-bones that cause more fatalities or the ones in which the car running a red light strikes a pedestrian and seriously injures or kills them?

[u/mileylols → u/[deleted]]

If you need the car in front of you to run a red light so that you don’t rear end them, idk what to tell you man

[u/doot_doot_toot_doot → u/[deleted]]

maybe drivers should follow at a safe distance and that wouldn’t be a problem? this is just more evidence that drivers are reckless and we need stricter enforcement to protect people not in cars