For several months, the city has cracked down on red light runners with a series of cameras, but officials say the devices picked up on another problem.

List of cams across New Orleans

"When we implemented the red light camera enforcement, we watched speed just to see how it was going,” said Public Works Director Robert Mendoza.

“But what we were seeing, for example, on the Carrollton corridor, was we were seeing about 700 speeders per day, which is a high number of speeders."

Mendoza says he sees similar driving habits in other spots, which is a reason the city is beefing up its traffic camera arsenal.

New cameras along Saint Charles Avenue in the Garden District will join Monday several others already at work on Poydras in the CBD, and along a section of Carrollton. That’s a total of 17 cameras, each set to bust speeders and red light runners.

Some drivers are wary of the technology.

"I just hope it doesn't have people in a panic," one driver said.

And the tickets are piling up. In the first three months of the program, Mendoza says 12-thousand citations were issued to red light runners.

Mendoza says ticketed drivers offer up plenty of excuses, but he says most don't realize, in addition to taking a snapshot, the cameras also capture video, which is pretty solid evidence.

But in some cases, the video can help you.

"Does an emergency vehicle come behind you, were you part of a funeral procession or something like that, that the images aren't going to show,” Mendoza said. “But we're going to be able to see that through video, and that's the reason we do it."

Some drivers say it’s just another way for the city to make an extra buck, but Mendoza argues the cameras have already helped change driver behavior.

"What we're seeing already, is we're seeing huge reductions in speeders. For example, on the Carrollton corridor, we were looking at 700 speeders a day, now we're looking at 100 speeders a day," Mendoza said.

And some drivers say there's nothing to be afraid of. Just ask driver John McCall.

"Just obey the law, it's simple."