I am a conscientious driver who would never run a red light intentionally.

Several years ago I was driving in the area of Fairfax, Va. and entered an intersection while the light was yellow. Shortly afterwards the light turned red.

Although, in my mind, I entered the intersection during a yellow light, with the intention of obeying the law, the camera system generated a ticket and I had to pay a $70 fine.

Here’s the deal: the reaction time for a human to become aware that a light has changed and to stop the car is probably a quarter of a second or more.

The the processing software of the camera system requires a fraction of a millisecond. The “evidence” is based on the camera. That is how these systems make money. The computer can register a violation before you know that the light turned red. People who are, for all practical purposes, obeying the law can’t beat a fast microprocessor.

Linda Seltzer, Redmond