It would be interesting to see research on the effectiveness of speed cameras.

I think surveillance as a whole might be a good thing. It's probably a more cost efficient deterrent than police in cars/on streets.

I don't think it deters anything, personally. There're some red light cameras at an intersection near me to try and keep people from running red lights. People still do it constantly. The only thing it does is the flash from the camera distracts drivers.

See that's a common problem: people want to do what they want, and think they know it better. Untill they hurt someone else (i don't care if they hurt themselves out of sheer stupidity). If cameras and fines don't work, what does? You can't possibly put a police officer on every corner of every street in america.
In belgium we have "superfines", they augmented the fines, so that people will (hopefully) think twice before speeding, drink & drive etc. Downside is that you can get like a 50 euro fine for stupid things.

I've got my license since 2001 i think, have had 1 speeding ticket (in holland, they had a camera on a big double lane where they were working, so speed was down from 70 to 30 which was ridiculously slow).

I think it's the fact that the fines aren't really enforceable. You can fight them and win 90% of the time. At least the automated ones. And even if you don't and you pay it, who cares? It doesn't go on your record as anything meaningful. They won't take your license.

If they made the laws a bit tougher (ie, fines higher and resulting in loss of driver's license) that may help. I think if someone causes an accident out of idiocy they should have their license revoked. But the US doesn't really have much of a public transportation system so you could be sentencing someone to destitution by taking away their license.

Bleh. I'd rather that stupid soccer mom have to be driven around by someone then kill me with her idiotic monster SUV.