Kudos to Assemblywoman Laura Friedman for authoring and promoting Assembly Bill 645, which would fund a pilot program to install speed cameras in selected cities, including Glendale (“Speed camera bill is one step closer to becoming law,” June 15).
Speeding and reckless driving are serious problems in Glendale. Glendale is consistently ranked in the bottom 20 of the “Allstate America’s Best Drivers,” just two spots ahead of Los Angeles. According to the report: “Drivers in Glendale are 79% more likely to get into an accident than the average American driver. And Glendale drivers go just five years in between insurance claims.”
Despite the best efforts by the Glendale Police Department, the problems seem intractable. Speed cameras have worked wherever they have been used, and they can work in Glendale. Our only reservation is that the penalties for infractions may not be strong enough. Perhaps instead of small fines, community service with impounds and increasing fines coming as infractions mount would be more effective. The humiliation of service seems better suited for drivers for whom fines are not effective and would not disproportionately affect the poor. Also, culprits should have to complete classes on safety and watch videos of fatal crashes.
We were glad to see that Mayor Dan Brotman and Glendale Police Chief Manuel Cid attended the press conference in Glendale promoting the bill. There is another press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 25, at 10 a.m. at 3431 Fryman Road, Studio City, 91604, for anyone interested in attending.
The number of “Slow Down” signs in yards in Glendale shows that the residents are sick and tired of the speeding and reckless driving.
As a resident of Glendale herself, Assemblywoman Friedman has been at the forefront of trying to make our streets safer and has worked for years to address this problem. Drive Safe Glendale thanks her.
To sign a petition that urges the city to make traffic safety a priority, visit chng.it/ykkCB6txmg.
Hank Schlinger
Carie Field
Sue Mondt
Ivy Cook
Glendale
drivesafeglendale.com
First published in the July 22 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
