The timing of yellow change intervals on traffic signals reflect The Three Bears syndrome.

Too short of a time between the amber and red and it creates unintentional red light running.

Too long of a time between the amber and red and it encourages red light running.

And supposedly the right amount of time is optimum for encouraging people not to play beat the clock driving two-ton projectiles or inadvertently running a red a light.

Given the City of Manteca goes for the “just right” interval as recommended by the Federal Highway  Administration, why is red light running so epidemic in Manteca?

The answer is either they are self-centered, arrogant, or reckless.

Rare is the driver in Manteca who at least three times or so a week doesn’t witness a car running a red light.

We’re not talking about a car that is in the intersection when it turns red.

It’s cars that enter the intersection after the signal turns green for cross traffic.

Given there is a couple of seconds built in between the switch from amber to red, there are drivers that make conscious decisions to keep going even though they had ample time to stop.

This assumes, of course, they aren’t traveling more than 5 mph or so above the posted speed limit.

Addressing red light running needs to be a high priority.

Forty percent of all accidents nationally happen in intersections.

Intersection collisions are only topped by rear-end collisions.

Fifty percent of all serious accidents happen in intersections.

Roughly 20 percent of all fatal accidents happen in intersections.

And an estimated 165,000 accidents happen each year in the United States due to red light running.

Hopefully, 2024 will be the Year of the Red Light Camera in Manteca.

Red light running in Manteca has become the norm.

And that’s not good.

It is why city staff last year, started exploring the possible deployment of red light camera technology.

Manteca Police Chief Stephen Schluer indicated a proposal will be ready for council consideration sometime in early in 2023.

There will be those, of course, that will rally against red light cameras being deployed.

The tirades they unleash usually run the gamut from a city is using red light cameras just to raise money and it is nothing but a trap to they are inaccurate.

First things first.

They are not a revenue source.

All of the revenue that Manteca gets from all the traffic tickets it issues in a given year barely covers the salary and benefits of just one traffic officer.

The city receives less than 18 percent of the actual fine issued.

The rest of the money goes to the State of California and the court system.

Red light cameras are far from a legal definition of a trap.

They are visible.

And they have ample signage.

But given how people ignore the presence of stop signs, it’s understandable they think big rectangular signs announcing a red light traffic camera system at an intersection aren’t adequate or playing fair.

As far as red light camera systems being inaccurate, this is 2023.

Red light camera systems today are light years more advanced than they were 16 years ago when Manteca came close to taking the plunge but were stopped from doing so by residents that attended a council meeting decrying what they saw as Big Brother technology.

Speaking of Big Brother, red light cameras are not an invasion of privacy.

There are some over the years that have argued they are somehow intrusive and therefore, by extension, trampling on their rights.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

It is being done in public streets.

And more to the point, when it is done in a careless, arrogant, or reckless manner it endangers the health, safety, life, and financial well-being of others.

If there is an “intruding,” it is the red light runner who is intruding on the safe movements of others.

Equipment is routinely checked for calibration/accuracy and a trained law enforcement officer makes the final call whether a ticket should be issued based on captured images and captured data.

We need to be realistic.

We need safer streets.

Yes, the city needs more police — especially those assigned to traffic.

Manteca has a five officer traffic unit within the police department.

That’s no larger than it was in 2008 when the city had 26,000 less residents.

Even if the traffic unit was doubled in size, they still would not be able to be a large enough police presence to create the buzz where Manteca is known as the place if you break a traffic law such as speeding, red light or stop sign running, or drive distracted the odds are you are going to get a ticket.

Red light cameras are on the job 24/7.

One would think that if a red light camera is at an intersection long enough that they would be no longer be financially feasible for a company to contract with a city.

The truth, though, is there are enough unsafe drivers out there to keep the numbers viable.

What does happen is the overall number of red light running has a big dent put in it because those drivers who have become complacent behind the wheel end up being more alert.

Clearly, red light cameras will not put an end to red light running at an intersection.

But they do decrease the dangerous act significantly.

And that is what needs to drive the City Council’s decision when they are presented with a red light camera proposal sometime in the coming months.

Manteca’s streets need to be safer.

And one way to do that is to damper the enthusiasm people have for breaking traffic rules.

And the best way to do that is hit them in the pocketbook before they hit someone and their wanton disregard for the law ends up dwarfing the cost of a ticket even crippling, maiming, or killing others.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com