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Comments
If I'm waiting for you and you flash me, couldn't you be warning me that you are there and coming through? When I misunderstand your flash and proceed and you hit me, I'm not able to prove you flashed, but the law can prove I failed to yield to you. Your good intentions can lead to bad results. :sick:
Why??? You ran the Red light, you get a ticket, period.
What's the camera got to do with implementing an unnecessary 30 day "adjustment period".
"But your Honor, I had a 30 day Forgiveness period, so can't you forgive me for crashing and killing?" :sick:
It'd be interesting to know what percentage of ticket revenues will actually be seen by the city, and not taken by the camera operator. Another great case of a public subsidizaion of a false private industry. It appeases some of the sheeple, so it's all good.
I'd like to see similar attention given to cities actually taking responsibility and sequencing their lights. Of course, that would take work and accountability from the public sector, and we all know how rare that can be.
I suppose that someone could decide to turn late, but then again, I've been driving about 40 - 50K annually for quite a few years, and not hit anyone (knock on wood) making a turn this way.
That's exactly what it is. It's sort of like the early retired policemen who set up "Detective Agencies" and "special investigation" businesses to do drug undercover work. They would send in someone who would entice and entrap a naive person. Then they'd brag about what great work the local police agency has done. A little like the TV guy who goes about bail jumpers and circumvents the law.
The locals will tell how safe it will make the area to have these cameras collecting fines mostly from people who don't know the area. In fact a local police chief called me about how great it was to have the speed and red light camera working (about a quarter mile from headquarters) and how much safer it had made things because red light running had DRASTICALLY increased (at that light's location, only). I had called about the red light running at all the other lights around the cheesy business area where they don't have cameras. He just didn't get it. People run the other lights MORE because they know there will be no policeman looking, hiding, seeing other red light running because the community is protected by the company in Arizona making $800000 on the light per year.
Cincinnati voted down the red light cameras (with speed)a few years back. The outgoing convicted governor Taft vetoed a bill to eliminate the cameras in Ohio as a "gift to the cities" of millions of dollars in fines. But I recently saw a note about a case in the Supreme Court (of Ohio) about the legitimacy of the cameras. So maybe there's hope.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
No red light camera worries me! I have never run a red light (yet).
I always wonder about people complaining about red light and photo radar cameras.
Don't run the light or exceed the posted speed and you have no worries.
Please everybody, don't send comments about greedy municipalities or counties or states that install the cameras to increase revenue.
Elect representatives that change the laws. Don't break the laws because you dislike them.
So you just bury your head and ignore the facts about the cameras sans policeman as a moneymaker? In Ohio the bills are not legal as tickets. They don't go on someone's record. In fact the City of Dayton had something like $3000000 in unpaid bills they hadn't collected--many from their own residents. The camera company was prompting them to try to collect more money since the camera company gets most of it
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I wrote and talked to my representative to get things changed. If enough people take the time and effort to do it, things do change. Amazing, isn't it?
Here in BC we did just that and now politicians are afraid to endorse the use of photo radar.
The irony is that photo radar is sorely needed, to stop the excessive speeding in the Vancouver (and other) areas.
What we do not need is stationary cameras in low risk areas (or on downhill roads stretches) just to fill local coffers.
What happens nowadays is that people don't want to be held accountable and there always must be someone to blame for THEIR disobeying the regulations.
If the sole motive of charging parking fees is to generate revenue to the city I strongly disagree with those fees.
If parking space is at a premium or if the idea is to avoid more cars in the downtown area (too much noise, pollution, congestion, etc) I would have to agree with the application of fees and or fines.
Ridiculous. Only a crony capitalist would defend this hilarious case of crony capitalism. One has to wonder how these light companies are connected to the senior leadership in local governments.
There is not much "justice" as you speak of in this society, anyway.
I'd like to see what percentage of accidents in Portland (and I think Tacoma is implementing) are actually caused by light-running. How much of a problem is this, really?
And how about in circumstances like in my fair city, where the light sequencing breaks constantly, and often early in the morning or on weekends the lights don't change at all. Every 2 or 3 days I have the pleasure of stopping at a certain red light and then running it, as the timing is off and it will not change. I have contacted the city about this a few times, and they either have ignored it or claimed it was fixed. Would my oh-so-egregious violation of "law" warrant an extra tax (we all know it is about money)...I mean citation?
A very big one if the other driver or pedestrian killed due to the red light running is my wife or my son!
What amount of accidents or casualties are caused by running red lights? Are there not bigger fish to fry in the realm of "law" enforcement and accident prevention?
Not to me if the one killed by a red light runner is dear to me and especially if substantial and FAIR fines are used to deter.
By fair I mean red light cameras that give the normal driver enough time to get to the other side and a fine that is not excessive!
That's exactly the point. AND my point is in the area where the small, backward city/township has put up redlight moneymakers people run the other lights with impunity. I suggested they have policemen around there watching for red light runners.
Dayton city has the same problem with red light running. I watched three people run the light in between where they had put up two cameras along a major road into the center of town. This happens over and over. People know where the cameras aren't and they run those lights. That's much more dangerous for your wife or your son. Ironically Dayton forgot to put up the other half of the red light cameras on the cross streets at those two intersections (and all their others) because they would make as much money. But those are much more dangerous because the cross street drivers tend to be "a more dangerous" type.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Stangely they put in a light at a T-street that has little traffic on the side street. But it's located just before a major light in a drug/drunk infested area. They shortened the yellow until someone wrote a letter to the newspaper.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to install a money maker at the major cross street? Oh the other one is heavily tree laden. The busier periphery makes the sign and the equipment less noticeable.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
One will have to examine yellow light timing in areas with red light cameras, too. Not that I believe such people would modify the system and make the lights shorter.
It is relatable to speed traps in my area, which usually exist on wide-open roads where speed limits are likely too low, and not on crowded urban streets where some (especially trucks) do speed, and more accidents take place. It is easier to cherry-pick than to do actual work.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It's been repeated so much by anti-scientific outfits like the National Motorists Association that everyone seems to believe it. My brother near San Diego bought into this one as well. (I didn't want an argument so I didn't counter him.)
I'm glad the VA legislature had the sense to allow localities the option of installing red light cameras after a 2-year hiatus.
Go to any major urban or suburban intersection and watch traffic. See how many people will blatantly run red lights (well after the light has turned red, not as the yellow goes to red). Then tell me we don't have a problem.
This is all I'm saying on this, as this subject is one of the three hot-button issues in this thread, along with left-lane campers and speed limits/enforcement.
(while I think the above is a perversion etc etc. It truly doesn't MATTER what I think (now does it)!!??
Gotta disagree with you there. I had one of the city's other red light cameras on a route into the city on the rare occasions I went downtown and was always very careful about the locations making sure I didn't go through the yellow.
I noticed the one near my doctor's office and noticed the yellow seemed quick. It was very apparent when you drive through 10-15 lights along what used to be a state highway route and they're all at 4 sec. Then this one seemed quicker. I used a stopwatch and it was quicker. I had seen posts in discussions here about the cameras and that was mentioned by some other folks.
After that a letter in the editors page had a comment about that. I went back and measured the light the next time I used that route into town and it was up to 4 seconds which is the same as all the others on 35 mph roads in that area of the city.
It's not an urban legend.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I certainly didn't say there is no problem. Indeed there is. But cameras only help at that one intersection. People even tend to run lights with impunity which they know aren't monitored.
The way to fix the problem is to have police cars actively looking for runners and stopping them, inconveniencing them, and giving a costly ticket. That's what our local police do. They use real policemen!!!
Most of the cities falling for the red light machines do so to make money and claim it's a police personnel saver. City of Dayton has about half the police they used to have. But in turn the streets are less safe and it's showing.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Blind deference, it will be the death of America. :lemon:
Absolutely, and it is because the uncertainty of when/where the police are located acts as a deterrent for those tempted to run the lights. As the risk goes up, the number of drivers willing to accept that risk quite simply goes down.
I frequently cross intersections on red when it is safe to do so. But, when there is traffic and I am crossing other lanes of traffic, I follow the lights. Anyone ever make a right turn on a red light? It is called using judgement; every driver is capable of that.
The more rules and regulations replace drivers' judgement, the less those same drivers will be willing to take responsibility for their own actions. It is a sad and vicious circle.
Now back to the dead horse.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Not to sure however in my little town we had a few intersections where red light running was an issue (people still going through after the light turned red). They put up red light cameras and big signs stating that the light is photo enforced. It does appear that the number of people sneaking through a fresh red has dropped greatly.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yes and wouldn't this free up police to go after those bigger fish?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well my wife was backing out she didn't check that road and pulled out in front of someone making a turn. I yelled at her to stop but she didn't hear me. Anyway the guy just stopped and waited for her. as he drove by I just shrugged my shoulders and the guy smiled and waved at me. I guess it was no big deal to him.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I was leaving my driveway yesterday and began to pull onto the street on my side (this is a little dirt road, so no markings). There was a neighbor gal in a white Durango coming the other direction, down the middle/wrong-side of the road, at about 25+ mph. She slams on the brakes, swerves to her side of the road, and gives me a nasty glare. :confuse: Sorry, renter, but wake the heck up. With that attitude, she is in for a nasty surprise when winter hits... assuming she still lives there.
(You are going to have to back one way or the other, so you might just as well back in and head out.)
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Then I saw a new black S class zooming by in the fast lane with an unmarked Impala with lights flashing right behind it. The Mercedes kept going until the sirens came on -- then he or she finally moved to the right and pulled onto the shoulder.
I have a good grasp of the light sequencing around here. After pulling up to the light that usually sticks on my commute, I can tell within 20 seconds or so if it is broken or not. Usually, the opposing direction is turning yellow by the time I stop, so it is no issue. When the light is still green as I stop, chances are I will be going against red. It's either that or sit for 20 minutes waiting for another car to come up behind me and hopefully trigger the change. One must obey the "law"! Well, so long as it is a law enacted by a benevolent 20 degrees right of right entity. Otherwise, its a conspiracy :P
Our county. mostly rural, is replete with stories in newspapers over time of teens and young people( 20's) dieing in crashes when going too fast. What a waste of life. One can only hope that these youngsters, who are immortal and think they will live forever, do not hit any innocent motorists or pedestrians in their adventures.
Perhaps you were driving a plastic car? A mini Cooper? :confuse:
If the light is stuck and you have waited a reasonable time, no traffic court will proceed with charges against you if you proceed through the intersection.
They don't expect you to camp on site until the problem is repaired, do they?