To even a casual observer, it is obvious that there has been a steady and relentless increase in the average speed driven on West Valley's streets since West Valley City stopped using photo radar to enforce speed limits. There are simply not enough police officers to effectively curb speeding.
Sen. Stephen Rees' claim that photo radar is not an effective deterrent to speeding and that it does not reduce accidents is incredibly naive. There are always those people who break the law if they believe they can, and it is obvious that the number and severity of accidents increase with speed. Rees' statement that by restricting photo radar to school zones and residential areas he is protecting children is self-serving to say the least, since he knew that photo radar could not be operated under those conditions.It is an unfortunate fact that many of the schools in West Valley are located on major highways, and many children on the way to school do not cross at intersections or designated school crossings. They cross where it is convenient; a child is not likely to walk a half mile or so out of the way to get to an intersection with a traffic signal.
Every school day I see children darting across 3200 West on their way to elementary or junior high school, and as the traffic moves faster it becomes increasingly dangerous. No matter what his intent, Stephen Rees has endangered our children, as well as the rest of us. He claims photo radar is a violation of basic individual rights. What rights? The right to break the law? No one who drove within the speed limit was ever threatened by photo radar.
William Linton
West Valley City