With two new red light cameras going up in Selma, and eight more a possibility, getting away with running a red light is about to get a lot more difficult.

Of course, there are people who are against these traffic lights — because there are people who just need something to gripe about, whether their claims are founded or not.

But for people who care more about safety than a soapbox, the cameras are a positive option. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “the rate of fatal red light running crashes in cities with cameras in 2004-2008 was 24 percent lower than it would have been without cameras.”

That 24 percent is far from negligible. Granted, Selma’s population is significantly lower than the population of the cities included in the study. But this does not negate the apparent benefits. If even one life can be saved use these red light cameras, it’s worth it.

There is a danger on the road that is undeniable. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 966 deaths occurred in Alabama in 2008 as a result of fatal traffic accidents. We’re in too much of a hurry, these days, to observe proper safety precautions on the road; traffic tickets are a reminder that we aren’t observing the laws put in place for our safety.

When people complain the police aren’t active enough, aren’t stopping enough crime, but then those same people don’t stand in support of their local law enforcement when measures are made to aid surveillance … there’s something wrong there.

Let’s allow the Selma police to do the job we’re paying them to do — protecting us from ourselves.  Red light cameras are just another tool technology has finally been placed at the disposal of our police officers, and they should be commended for using every available method to protect the citizens of Selma.