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Here’s the nightmare. The light turns green, it’s clear to go through.
信号灯简直就是个噩梦。好不容易绿灯可以走了。
You make your way down the intersection, but out the corner of your eye…
你正往十字路口开去，然后就在你的视线盲区……
And an instant later, there’s another notch added to the 30,000 deaths from car crashes a year, of which up to 23% are intersection-related.
美国每年死于车祸的3万人里立即多了一位受害者，而这些死亡有23%都发生在路口。
So law enforcement and city officials all over the country have tried to solve this problem, by installing red-light cameras to get drivers to slow down, stop, and save lives rather than just blowing through red lights.
为了解决这一问题，美国执法部门及各地政府开始在路口安装红灯监控，督促大家减速慢行，规范人们随意闯红灯的行为，从而减少人员伤亡。
“The ultimate hope is to improve safety at the intersection by reducing traffic crashses.”
“我们最终的目的是想降低事故率，提高路口通行的安全性。”
There’s just one problem.
但还是有一个问题。
These cameras don’t just stop car crashes, they create others as well.
这些摄像头在减少交通事故的同时也在创造交通事故。
Since the 1960s, thousands of red light cameras have been posted around intersections across the US.
从六十年代开始，美国各地的十字路口陆续安装了成千上万个信号灯监控。
And there’s no denying that these cameras really can and do save lives.
毫无疑问，这些摄像头确实能够拯救也的确拯救了许多行人的生命。
But they also show an increase in less deadly rear end collisions because of drivers abruptly stopping to avoid red-light tickets.
然而性质不那么严重的追尾事故也更频繁了，因为驾驶人会为逃避闯红灯被罚而紧急刹车。
And depending on where cameras are placed, they create more car crashes， were there weren’t many or any at all to begin with.
根据摄像头位置的不同，大量安装摄像头比少装摄像头甚至完全不装时更容易引起事故。
Crashes at intersections are most often caused by cars turning left whilst cars cross on the opposite side of the road.
路口事故发生往往是因为左转车辆和直行车辆相撞造成的。
Many tickets are going to drivers who “California roll” to turn right on red.
很多罚单罚的也都是那些右转时闯红灯的“加州卷”司机。
But those cars only make up only about 1% of intersection crashes.
然而，这些车辆只占路口交通事故车辆的1%左右。
There is, of course, another reason beyond safety why cities would install red light cameras.
当然了，除了安全，各地城市安装红灯摄像头还有另一个原因。
Tickets from red light cameras can cost a driver between $50 and $500.
针对被监控抓到闯红灯的罚款金额在50到500美元之间。
Cities like Orlando, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, and Washington DC bring in million of dollars in fines from red light camera tickets.
在佛罗里达州奥兰多，伊利诺伊的芝加哥以及华盛顿，光是闯红灯的罚单金额就高达百万。
Camera vendors such as RedFlex Traffic Systems, American Traffic Solution and several others have incentive to get a lot contract.
RedFlex交通系统公司，美国交通运输方案等摄像头制造商的生意来了。
because they take care of the installation, operation, and maintenance of those cameras, which in turn cost cities millions of dollars.
它们都是搞监控摄像头安装，运作以及维护的公司，这些服务翻过来又要花政府数百万资金。
In Chicago, one ex-city official was convicted in receiving up to $2 million dollars in bribes for red light camera contracts
芝加哥某前市政府官员就曾被指控因红灯监控合同收受高达200万美元的贿款。
And in a lawsuit, a fired RedFlex executive named 13 other cities that allegedly participated in receiving bribes from the traffic camera company as well.
在某官司中，一位被RedFlex辞退的主管人员也揭露，除了他所在的城市，还有13个城市也参与了收受道路监控制造公司贿赂的活动。
If safety were really the biggest, or only, concern,
如果安全真的是最大或者唯一担心的问题，
there are alternatives to red light cameras that would be just as effective and cost less—it would take just a bit more city planning.
比起红灯监控，采取其他措施不仅同样有效还节省成本，只不过需要市政府好好地规划一番。
For example, the timing of yellow lights is key.
比如，黄灯的时间就是一个关键的因素。
The federal guidelines specify that yellow lights need only to fall between 3 and 6 seconds.
联邦交通指南明确规定，黄灯应该在3到6秒之间。
But red light cameras might give cities incentive to stay at the shorter end of that range.
但为了安装红灯摄像头，市政府可能会缩短黄灯时间。
In Florida, one intersection’s yellow light intervals were adjusted from 3.9 seconds to 4.8 seconds and there was a 79% drop in issued citations.
佛罗里达某路口的黄灯时间从3.9秒延长到4.8秒后，闯红灯的罚单一下子就少了79%。
Curb extensions and speed humps also force traffic to slow down.
设置禁行区域和增设减速带也能促进车辆减速慢行。
Visual cues like signs are another way to signal to drivers to be even more aware of an impending stop.
此外，标志之类的视觉信号也能提醒驾驶人注意前方路口。
Even the unpopular roundabout is not only safer than a 4-way or T intersection it also increases traffic flow efficiency.
连不怎么受欢迎的环岛都能在提高车流通行效率的同时拥有比四车道和T字路口更高的安全性。
So now, several cities across the US are rethinking their red-light camera programs.
所以，美国某些城市如今已经开始重新审视他们的红灯摄像头系统了。
And Albequerque, New Mexico ended their program in 2011.
新墨西哥的阿尔伯克基早在2011年就取消使用红灯摄像头系统。
“The bottom line is that this is a company that is for profit—they’re going to make a profit. And that’s what these cameras do."
“归根结底，这是个以营利为目标的公司——他们要赚钱，这些摄像头就是用来赚钱的。”
