You may have spotted tall poles with cameras on them rising along the roadways if you’ve been driving in New Jersey recently. Are they Big Brother spies? Public monitoring?
Actually, they’re New Jersey’s method of making traffic a little less crazy than it would be in a Wawa during rush hour.
Making your journey a bit less unpleasant is the simple goal of these cameras, which are a component of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) traffic control system. Imagine them as NJDOT’s live, real-time, video-rich version of Google Maps. The 511NJ website provides you with a front-row seat to traffic conditions, construction projects, weather incidents, and all the highway drama you can take in thanks to their feeds.
Although they are not used to check your speed or issue tickets, if something happens on public video, it may be used as evidence in a criminal case. Additionally, if necessary, law enforcement can use the footage to track missing people, wanted cars, etc. They are able to view the video without any legal restrictions.
Why Are They There?
These cameras’ main objectives are straightforward: safety and traffic movement. They are employed to manage emergencies, keep an eye on accidents, and monitor traffic. You can witness a 10-car pileup on the Turnpike from the comfort of your home or, let’s face it, your business desk, rather than depending on sporadic tweets from your neighborhood radio station.
How Can You Use Them?
Yes, you can use the 511NJ website to access these cameras. With interactive widgets, maps, and a wealth of information on the locations of the upcoming traffic jam, the website was created with commuters in mind. Before you leave the house, do you want to know how awful the Parkway looks? Now log on, check a camera, and either wait it out with another cup of coffee or brave the chaos.
NJ511 is used everyday by news organizations like Shore News Network to generate our daily traffic reports during the week. Where it was previously necessary to have someone on the ground during traffic jams, wrecks, closures, etc., they offer crucial real-time information.
The (Not-So) Fine Print
There are a few catches before you get too thrilled. These cameras aren’t constantly online, to start. They occasionally fall down at random, which naturally always seems to occur during significant storms or accidents—that is, when you need them the most. Coincidence? Perhaps. Infuriating? Of course.
Big Brother Vibes?
It’s reasonable to question whether these cameras are keeping an eye on anything besides traffic. You may relax, even if NJDOT maintains that they are solely for transportation management and public safety. They aren’t keeping track of how many times you’ve stopped for snacks at the petrol station or logging your license plate as you speed by.
The next time you see one of those poles, remember that it’s not spying on you; rather, it’s attempting to make your everyday commute a bit less unpleasant. I wish it would take action over the jughandles.
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