League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Riverside County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Measure N Prohibition of Automated Traffic Enforcement Systems City of Murrieta Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Pass: 19,344 / 57.26% Yes votes ...... 14,436 / 42.74% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure N

Arguments Against Measure N

Vote YES to eliminate Red Light Cameras. When Red Light Cameras were brought to Murrieta in 2006, we were promised that they would improve safety on our roadways. They haven't. In fact, the opposite has occurred. According to the CHP collision database and the Murrieta Police Department's own data, red light related collisions, rear end collisions, and broadside collisions have all dramatically increased at camera enforced intersections. Comparing five years before the cameras were installed with five years after, red light related collisions increased 120%, broadside collisions in the intersections increased 117%, and rear end collisions increased 285%. Data for these statistics is available at http://www.banthecamsmurrieta.com/data. And while the cameras increased accidents, by the time of this election, Murrieta will have issued almost 12,000 tickets at almost $500 each, removing millions of dollars from our local economy and wasting thousands of valuable police man hours. And the vast majority of these tickets go to drivers who miss the end of the yellow phase by a fraction of a second due to the city intentionally setting the yellow signal time at the absolute minimum required. These blink of an eye violations, while legally citable, are virtually indistinguishable from non-violations occurring a fraction of a second earlier. Meanwhile, ATS, the out of state camera company, has raked in over $1.5 million. No wonder they sued to keep you from voting on whether to remove their ticketing machines. The unfortunate truth is that red light ticketing cameras can't improve safety because they cannot prevent the serious collisions caused by motorists who are impaired, distracted, or fatigued and enter the intersection long after the light has turned red. More tickets; less safety. It's time the citizens of Murrieta demanded the removal of these ticketing cameras. Vote YES on measure "N". By: Diana M. Serafin, Ban the Cams Authors Robin R. Nielson, Proponent Ernest White Jamie R. White, Candidate for Temecula City Council Jay Beeber, Executive Director, Safer Streets L.A. Rebuttal to Arguments For The LA-BASED SPECIAL INTEREST PROPONENT engaged in bait and switch. Comparing 2001 traffic statistics (population 44,000) with 2011 (population 104,459) is deception. Using data that covers an area from De Luz to French Valley and the freeways is manipulation. To maintain the same red light runner coverage without cameras requires 15 additional motor officers. The annual cost: an unaffordable $2.5M. The choices: redeploy patrol officers from major crime duties or see red light running skyrocket. The Murrieta Police Department (MPD) reported the facts to the California Statewide Traffic Reporting System from 2005 through September 2011. RED LIGHT RUNNING DOWN at camera enforced intersections from 5100 per month to 121. BROADSIDE COLLISIONS REDUCED to 15 at the intersections with a camera which contrasts with 45 at adjacent non-camera intersections. Every red light runner puts the lives of your family in extreme danger. The facts: AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED RED, 8156 red light runners were 1.5 car lengths from the intersection; 4042 were 3 car lengths away; and 1640 were 17 car lengths away. VIOLATORS IGNORED YELLOW AND THEN RED LIGHTS as they drove through intersections and crosswalks. Murrieta residents live in one of the nation's safest cities. Do you trust your friends and neighbors in the MPD or some LA special interest group? In 2005, the MPD brought the red light cameras forward for approval because they believed they would save lives. The evidence is clear and compelling. RED LIGHT CAMERAS SAVE LIVES. KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE. VOTE NO ON "N". By: Rick Gibbs, Council Member Alan Long, Council Member

California ranks number 1 in fatalities caused by red light running. A death occurs every 4 days, but camera use in Murrieta has REDUCED BROADSIDE COLLISIONS BY 66 %. The presence of a camera at one intersection in Murrieta REDUCED THE NUMBER OF RED LIGHT RUNNERS FROM 3150 PER MONTH TO 113. 72 % of the red light violations were written to drivers who do not live in Murrieta. It is people passing through our town who put your life in danger. Camera coverage is the equivalent of 15 additional motor officers working 24/7. SAVE LIVES and reduce injuries. VOTE NO on Initiative "N". By: Rick Gibbs, Council Member Alan Long Rebuttal to Arguments Against The camera supporters must think you're stupid. Of course California ranks #1 in fatalities, California's got the most people and the most cars on the road. And, no, broadside collisions at camera intersections weren't reduced by 66%; they increased by 117%. Plus, at intersections with cameras, red light related collisions increased 120%, and rear end collisions increased 285%. Meanwhile, red light related collisions at three nearby intersections without cameras went down 24%. If the cameras are so great, why did the collisions they're supposed to prevent go up at camera intersections and down at non-camera intersections? Their claims about reducing red light running are nonsense too. What they did, to fool you, is took the number of potential violations estimated by the camera company while trying to sell their ticketing scheme to the City and then compared it with the actual number of citations that were mailed in one low-violation month. They're comparing apples and oranges and hoping you'll fall for it. Truth is, in the first full month of ticketing at each camera intersection, they issued a total of 197 tickets. Years later, in July 2011 they issued 185 tickets, virtually no change. And while the majority of the tickets may go to non-residents, those aren't total strangers. They're folks who work, shop, and visit friends and family here. Plus, almost 4000 tickets still went to Murrieta residents. Don't be fooled by the camera supporters' bogus claims. Show them you're smarter than that. Vote YES on measure "N". By: Douglas V. Gibbs, Constitution Teacher, Radio Host Debi Feeney, (Murrieta Business Owner) Harry Ramos, Candidate for Murrieta City Council Francis Burns Jay Beeber, Executive Director Safer Streets L.A

Full Text of Measure N

The People of the City of Murrieta do ordain as follows: Section 0. The ordinance proposed by initiative petition shall be known as the "MURRIETA PROHIBITION OF AUTOMATED TRAFFIC CAMERAS." Section 1. The term "red light camera or automated traffic enforcement system" as used in this section shall mean and include any automated traffic enforcement system, as that term is used in California Vehicle Code Section 21455.5, or any successor legislation thereto, which is used to enforce any provision of the California Vehicle Code. Section 2. An ordinance shall be adopted by the City Council to prohibit the installation of and require removal of any existing red light cameras or automated traffic enforcement systems in the City of Murrieta. Section 3. The City Council, any officer, employee of the City, governmental agency or governmental official having jurisdiction in the City, when acting in his or her official capacity, shall be prohibited from taking any action which would directly or indirectly result in the authorization, approval or installation of any red light camera or other automated traffic enforcement system in the City of Murrieta. Section 4. If any provision of this measure or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or application. Section 5. This initiative may only be amended by voter approval. PASSED by the people of the City of Murrieta at the General Municipal Election on November 6, 2012. ADOPTED by declaration of the election results this 4 th day of December, 2012. EFFECTIVE ten (10) days after the results are declared by the City Council, December 14, 2012.