8/26/2019
Florida, France, Germany, Italy: Speed Cameras Sabotage Costs $400 MillionSpeed camera sabotage costs France $400 million. Automated ticketing machines also destroyed in Florida, Germany and Italy last week.
The speed camera resistance in France cost authorities 360 million euros (US $400 million), according to a new estimate by the government's road safety agency. Officials spent 60 million euros (US $67 million) repairing nearly one thousand automated ticketing machines that were spraypainted, burned or otherwise disabled. Another 300 million (US $334 million) in profit was lost while the devices were turned off.
Automated ticketing machine destruction has continued even as the Yellow Vest protests have diminished. On Sunday, vigilantes torched a photo radar unit on the D700 in Plaintel. On Thursday, vigilantes knocked over the speed camera on the RD927 in Jouy-en-Pithiverais. Around the same time, orange paint blinded the speed cameras on the N21 in Antonne-et-Trigonant and on the D6021 in Rampinsolle. The color changed to white for the camera on the N221 in Boulazac-Isle-Manoire. On Tuesday, a bucket of black paint was splashed over the lens of the speed camera on the RN59 in La Vancelle. On the same day, the speed camera on the Rue de Saint-Just-en-Chaussee in Fouquerolles was set on fire. On the day before, black spraypaint was applied to the speed camera on the D928 in Hallines. In Albens, the newly installed speed camera on the RD1201 had its pole bent, twisting the device so it faced away from the road.
On Thursday, a red light camera in Miami Gardens, Florida, failed to prevent an accident. An officer said to be responding to a call slammed into the automated ticketing machine located at the intersection of 167th Terrace and NW 27th Avenue.
Vigilantes in San Remo, Italy, on August 18 ripped a speed camera out of its mounting position on Corso Marconi, preventing it from issuing automated tickets.
On Sunday, vigilantes in Clauen, Germany, set fire to the traffic camera on the outskirts of town. On August 17 vigilantes in Friedland blinded the mobile speed camera in the village of Gross Schneen with white spraypaint, according to local police.