Drivers fight back against traffic cams

LOS ANGELES - "I'm mad as hell, and I can't take it anymore!"

Sound like you when it comes to traffic cameras? Many people are in the same boat and efforts to fight the system are now gaining in popularity.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are now 3,000 more red-light and speed cameras in the United States this year, up from 2,500 last year. Most of the cameras are operated by third-party companies who are making upwards of $5,000 per camera each month, according to the Wall Street Journal .

Local governments say that the cameras have been effective in improving safety and bringing in revenue. But critics argue that it can also lead to more rear-end accidents, as drivers oftentimes slam on their brakes when they spot the cameras.

Drivers are using various methods to "beat" the cameras. Phantom Plate Inc. sells a spray and a plastic skin for car license plates that renders the plates unreadable by traffic cameras. A free cell phone application called Trapster maps out all of the cameras and speed traps in your local area.

And then there are people who are blocking out the cameras themselves. In November, a man destroyed a camera with a pick ax in Phoenix . In December, a band of people dressed as Santa Claus used boxes to cover up cameras in Tempe, Ariz. ( watch the video ).