Controversial Traffic Cameras in Chicago Could Be Unfairly Targeting Minorities

Traffic cameras: Orwellian nightmare or practical justice system? And how do race, socioeconomic status, and car insurance premiums play into it all?
Written by Clare Behe
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
View of a speed camera
On January 11, ProPublica published an article concerning
race-neutral traffic cameras
and the experiences of those negatively affected by, and those in favor of, the automated ticketing system. While the statistics were grim through the lens of equality, would it really be better to forego fines and
risk more accidents
? Or is there more to be gleaned from the lengthy report? 
Red-light cameras were first installed in Chicago in 2003 and expanded city-wide a decade later. In the late-2010s, studies emerged showing that tickets were being issued to Black and Latino residents from lower-income neighborhoods at a significantly higher rate than white Chicagoans. 
This data was not unprecedented. Miami and Washington, D.C. had ceased to utilize red-light cameras between 2016-2018 because of the financial disparity between high-and low-income neighborhoods. Rochester, New York, also closed their program in 2016, as the financial burden on poorer neighborhoods negated the minimal safety improvements.
Yet low-income Chicago residents, mostly Black and Latino, continued to literally pay for the red light cameras in their city.

Ticketing intensifies in Chicago 

2020 and its tumultuous racial politics ushered in a further expansion of automated traffic monitoring by Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot to include speed monitoring at the strictest level. Her explanation for the installation invoked a proactive plan to prevent a situation such as the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Supposedly, the traffic cameras were there to reduce racially-motivated traffic stops, an occurrence that is all too often fatal for Black people. 
Unfortunately, this type of thinking took minority citizens out of the fire and into the frying pan: the stricter traffic regulations lowered the minimum speed for ticketing, which did improve safety measures, but also brought significantly more financial strain to Black and brown neighborhoods.
Olatunji Oboi Reed, a Chicagoan who has started the nonprofit Equacity to advocate for equality in transportation, is concerned that risky driving patterns, which he believes are more dangerous than incidental infractions, are being ignored for the sake of technicalities.
Objectivity in traffic fines sounds like a good thing because it’s theoretically just, but applying a single standard to markedly different circumstances does not always make for a level playing field. Reed refers to this as “structural racism.” 
The
minority-populated neighborhoods
being buried in debt from petty tickets lack modern infrastructure found in whiter, more affluent areas, that encourage safer driving habits. Between 2015-2019, 38% of traffic tickets were issued to Black drivers, despite only accounting for 27% of Chicago's population. 
In the two decades since automatic traffic monitoring was introduced, the city of Chicago has brought in $1.3 billion in revenue. Regardless of initial motivations for the program, it has clearly become a cash cow for the city. Which begs the question, why was ticketing tightened in 2020? 
While other major US cities acknowledged the unfair and financially predatory nature of the system and cut their losses for minimal improvements in traffic safety, Chicago has created more opportunities to profit off its residents.
Rodney Perry, another Chicago resident, was ticketed twelve times in 2021 alone. Five of those tickets were for exceeding the speed limit by a mere 6-7 miles. The fines he accrued led to such severe financial hardship for Perry that he had to borrow $700 just to afford to have the boot removed from his Jeep by the city. 
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What are the financial ramifications of traffic violations?

It's been said that there's nothing more expensive than being poor, and it's sadly true, as the costs incurred for a fine don't end with paying your particular municipality. A ticket for a traffic violation can stay on your driving record for up to a decade; not only putting points toward a suspended license but beefing up insurance costs. 
A driver with fines on their record is considered a risk to insure, and premiums go up with every offense. Some insurances won’t even cover a driver with too many infractions on their record! 
If you’re struggling to find affordable insurance—ticket or no ticket—check out Jerry. The average user saves almost $900 a year, and can choose between over 50 top insurance providers to find the perfect deal! 
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