Are traffic cameras an invasion of privacy - Assignment Example

Traffic Cameras and Intrusion of Privacy Traffic cameras have been in existence for a long period of time and their use has sparked a debate whether or not they invade our privacy. Traffic cameras especially the red light cameras are installed on highways to0 monitor and assist in traffic flow. Their primary use is in the control of traffic flow on highways and major roads (McDonald & Cranor, 2005). The extent to which they are used in the public domain does not in any way invade our privacy and therefore their use should be highly encouraged.

Driving in any part of the world is a regulated activity and thus when an individual purchases a vehicle they are required by law to register such a vehicle. Before they can drive they are required to have a driving license and by acquiring this document they are abiding by the traffic rules which state that an individual will not drive past a red light. The US circuit court of appeal ruled in a case in 2009 that ‘no one has a fundamental right to run a red light or avoid being seen by a camera on a public street’ (Parveen Idris v.

City of Chicago Illinois, 2009). In the event that a driver does this the camera is part of the traffic surveillance system and thus is programmed to capture the image of the offender. The driver will have broken traffic rules. According to the Insurance Institute for highway safety driving is regulated by law and the cameras only capture the people on the wrong side of the traffic rules. They capture the license plate of the vehicle or in other cases as permitted by the law they may be allowed to capture the image of the driver (IIHS, 2011).

The law also states that it will be considered an intrusion of privacy if any individual is captured without them knowing (BBB Inc, 2010). In this instance the drivers are always aware that there are cameras installed on highway intersections and in case they cross under a red light they will be captured by the camera. Because they understand the existence of the camera and why it is placed there this cannot be considered an intrusion of privacy unless the camera has been placed there to monitor their activities in the vehicle which is not the case.

In many public places there are cameras placed for security purposes, they record people and activities but this is done when the people are aware they are being recorded. In Canada for example the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents act states that unless in very extreme circumstances such surveillance is considered legal when the people who are being monitored are aware that it is happening (Whitehead, 2005).Red light cameras capture images of the person driving the vehicle at that time, they also capture the license plate of the vehicle that is either breaking the law or involved in an accident.

These programmed devices do not capture activities of people within the vehicle. Once an individual is on the steering wheel they are considered to be in public and therefore they have to abide by all rules that exist in the public domain. The traffic camera will capture activities like a crash that will help in solving traffic issues that will arise as a result of the crush. By capturing these activities they help a lot in ensuring public safety instead of compromising their privacy. A survey by the carried out by the Insurance Institute of Highway safety showed that by installing these traffic cameras a total of 815 lives were saved between 2004 and 2008 (Johnson, 2011).

What these offenders do on the roads is not considered private but a matter of public concern and thus through the cameras we are able to ensure safety.ReferencesParveen Idris v. City of Chicago Illinois, 08-1363 (United States Court of Appeals,Seventh Circuit January 5, 2009).BBB Inc. (2010). A review of Federal and State Privacy laws. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc: http://www.bbbonline.org/understandingprivacy/library/fed_stateprivlaws.pdfIIHS. (2011, september).

Red Light Cameras. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Insurance Institute of Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.htmlJohnson, A. (2011, June 24). Challenges to red light cameras span US. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from MSNBC Today News: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43521646/ns/today-today_news/t/challenges-red-light-cameras-span-us/#.Tp_lzd5hKdEMcDonald, A. M., & Cranor, L. F. (2005). How Technology Drives Vehicular privacy. Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society, 1-30.

Whitehead, B. (2005, September 20). Invasion of privacy laws and video surveillance -- whats legal, whats not? Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Video Surveillance Guide: http://www.video-surveillance-guide.com/3048-invasion-of-privacy-laws.htm