We Finally Got Our Red Light Cameras!

[Bruzilla]

Yeah! Clay County finally got around to getting the first red light camera system up and running this past weekend, and I am happy. I would be thrilled if they had put cameras at the intersection of Kingsley Avenue and Blanding Blvd, but I'll take what I can get for now.

It's so nice being able to go to work in the morning, and not lose half of my green light time waiting for three or four drivers, who decided their time is so valuable that they just couldn't wait for the next green, to clear the intersection. Since the cameras have been up, drivers actually seem to remember that yellow means the same as red instead of thinking it's some acceleration light.

Sorry to all those would-be Kings of the Road, but if you want to own the road, you can pay $115 for the privilege of taking up my green light time.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The hell you say. Yellow means STAND ON IT.

 

[WP29440SE]

we had four set up , they lasted a year before the city pulled the plug on them. they were costing too much money.

 

[Moparsmitty]

I'm with you Bruzilla. Several of the towns around here have installed cameras and I personally like them. There's a big difference in the way that people drive through these intersections compared to before the cameras were installed. I've seen people interviewed on the news bitching about them. One lady got like 40+ tickets in one month for running the same lights on her way to and from work. I thought that was funnier than hell. Easy solution to the problem is to stop driving like idiots and running the lights!

 

[67Satty]

I can't believe there are people who like these things. I can't think of anything I hate worse when driving around than these stupid red light cameras. I think they make things more dangerous rather than safer because you are many times forced to make a decision between stopping for the yellow and getting rear-ended or blowing through and risking a huge ticket. Not to mention they are most likely unconstitutional because you can't face your accuser in court due to the fact that your accuser isn't a human, it's a machine set up by a for-profit corporation, many of whom have been shown to rig the timing of the lights and cameras in order to generate more revenure in a quickback scheme with the munipality they installed them for.

 

[MarPar]

speaking of red-light cameras...

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...ght-camera-firm-bribery-scheme-city-inspector

 

[Furyous]

I wish we had more of them here...

 

[Bruzilla]

I can't believe there are people who like these things. I can't think of anything I hate worse when driving around than these stupid red light cameras. I think they make things more dangerous rather than safer because you are many times forced to make a decision between stopping for the yellow and getting rear-ended or blowing through and risking a huge ticket. Not to mention they are most likely unconstitutional because you can't face your accuser in court due to the fact that your accuser isn't a human, it's a machine set up by a for-profit corporation, many of whom have been shown to rig the timing of the lights and cameras in order to generate more revenure in a quickback scheme with the munipality they installed them for.

Hate to say it, but it seems like you're the one being stupid here. If you're "making decisions" when you see a yellow light, you are part of the problem that the rest of us have to deal with. Yellow lights have only one purpose, and that is to alert you that the light is changing. This is a courtesy light since you can't just have a green light transition to a red light. It's not, nor was it ever intended to be, an extension of the green light. The only thing you should be considering when you see a yellow light is safely slowing to a stop. If you're thinking about doing anything else, you're usually creating a hazard. As for the old "rear ending" mantra we hear so often, how often do you accelerate through a yellow light, with a person in front of you, without first checking to see if that person is braking? My guess would be never. You check and see if that idiot ahead of you is going to try to make it through before you decide to put your fellow drivers at risk and try the same stupid stunt, and if you see brake lights come on ahead of you, you stop too.

As for the unconstitutionality of these cameras, that dodge has been tried and tried again, and comes up the losing side of the debate every time.

 

[67Satty]

Well, in the interests of keeping things civil, I don't recall calling anyone stupid. I just said I can't believe anyone likes red light cameras and went on to explain why I don't like them. Your theory of how to approach yellow lights may work for you in Florida in God's Waiting Room with a bunch of 90 year-olds putting around but it would get you rear-ended here in SoCal where I drive. It's for this reason and many of the others I stated that cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have decided to get rid of right light cameras after trying them for a few years.

And as far as accidents go, many studies have shown that they don't really do as much of that as you think either.

"In New Jersey, the Department of Transportation has acknowledged that, although right-angle crashes at monitored intersections are down, the total number of collisions has increased...in areas where the cameras are installed. Much of this increase is caused by the skyrocketing number of rear-end collisions, which have increased by 20 percent as drivers slam the brakes to avoid getting caught cruising through a yellow light. "

 

[super-bee_ski]

Like super77 se says,
Most of Los Angeles and surronding counties / communities abandoned them.

 

[99ss]

Oregon uses them all the time and they do work. As well as cameras/w radar guns and you get a ticket in the mail. Parked mini vans on the side of the road are a dead give away but some are mounted on poles and semi hidden as well.

 

[Budnicks]

welcome to the 21st century finally, we've had them damn things here even in the sticks/boonies in Calif for 15+ years now, $115 is cheap, ours are more like I think $175+ {I've never got one yet, but know people that have}, IMHFO it's just local govt. revenue generators... Big brothers watching...LOL...

 

[99ss]

Well, in the interests of keeping things civil, I don't recall calling anyone stupid. I just said I can't believe anyone likes red light cameras and went on to explain why I don't like them. Your theory of how to approach yellow lights may work for you in Florida in God's Waiting Room with a bunch of 90 year-olds putting around but it would get you rear-ended here in SoCal where I drive. It's for this reason and many of the others I stated that cities like Los Angeles and San Diego have decided to get rid of right light cameras after trying them for a few years.

And as far as accidents go, many studies have shown that they don't really do as much of that as you think either.

"In New Jersey, the Department of Transportation has acknowledged that, although right-angle crashes at monitored intersections are down, the total number of collisions has increased...in areas where the cameras are installed. Much of this increase is caused by the skyrocketing number of rear-end collisions, which have increased by 20 percent as drivers slam the brakes to avoid getting caught cruising through a yellow light. "

I'll be honest... Thats dumb. Affraid to stop for a yellow light because you will be rear-ended?? Sue the **** out of them and that stuff will stop. Yes officer I broke the law because I was forced to.

Let the good people move out and then just dump S.CA in the ocean and call it good.

So what you are saying is majorority rules no matter what the law says. I have no patience for that unlawlessness to be honest. I have written tickets as a citizen and they have held in court. You can do that in Oregon.

Charge anyone who rear-ends anyone and throw the book at them and the culture will change. Sorry we dont want to enforce the law as its incoveinent to people. F%^&* that **** ! Come to Oregon pull that crap and get shot.. by the cops..LOL


And not trying to pile on 67saty..LOL but I can solve that issue for Cali

IF there is one thing that is my pet peave its running red lights. I get hostile when someone does it.

 

[YY1]

Part of the problem is that they don't differentiate between someone who blows through the red light at 70MPH and someone who stops, but lands an inch past the white line.

Both get the same ticket because of a technicality which would not be a problem if an officer had to decide on the scene, which case was more relevant.

 

[696969]

Revenue generators that create more problems than solutions.

Here are some countermeasures:

http://www.phantomplate.com/

 

[WP29440SE]

Like super77 se says,
Most of Los Angeles and surronding counties / communities abandoned them.

the entire goal was to create revenue and had nothing to do with safety. people were beating the tickets because they were proven to be clicking off fractions of seconds before the lights were actually changing. once they were reset to be in actual time with the lights, they stopped getting the money to justify their existance, it was all a scam. the city pulled the plug shortly there-after. they barely lasted a year. these things were placed at some insane intersections to boot.

 

[RustyRatRod]

It's gubmint. When gubmint gets involved in anything, it messes all creation up.

 

[99ss]

Part of the problem is that they don't differentiate between someone who blows through the red light at 70MPH and someone who stops, but lands an inch past the white line.

Both get the same ticket because of a technicality which would not be a problem if an officer had to decide on the scene, which case was more relevant.

I hadnt heard of that complaint here in Oregon, I think they only snap a pic if you are halfway through the intersection which in no way would you be backing up. But even it it did you would be guilty anyway. Yellow means slow caution red light coming and if you use yellow to accelerate then you are alreadey breaking the law and liable for careless driving.

Careless driving is a big area and encompases a lot of road activity. One of the people I wrote a ticket for was for speeding but I have no idea how fast they were going. So the cop wrote the ticket as careless driving as it was a lot easier for that charge to stand up in court.

- - - Updated - - -

Revenue generators that create more problems than solutions.

Here are some countermeasures:

http://www.phantomplate.com/

Most states have laws on the books if you tamper with your plates. If you are a repeat offender they will catch you. Yes it generates revenue.

Try not breaking the f&%ing law instead to save money.

This is a f%cking safety issue. I cant believe the ignorance about it. I want to kill innocent people because I cant wait 2 minutes is all I see from the naysayers

 

[cr8crshr]

Hate to say it, but it seems like you're the one being stupid here. If you're "making decisions" when you see a yellow light, you are part of the problem that the rest of us have to deal with. Yellow lights have only one purpose, and that is to alert you that the light is changing. This is a courtesy light since you can't just have a green light transition to a red light. It's not, nor was it ever intended to be, an extension of the green light. The only thing you should be considering when you see a yellow light is safely slowing to a stop. If you're thinking about doing anything else, you're usually creating a hazard. As for the old "rear ending" mantra we hear so often, how often do you accelerate through a yellow light, with a person in front of you, without first checking to see if that person is braking? My guess would be never. You check and see if that idiot ahead of you is going to try to make it through before you decide to put your fellow drivers at risk and try the same stupid stunt, and if you see brake lights come on ahead of you, you stop too.

As for the unconstitutionality of these cameras, that dodge has been tried and tried again, and comes up the losing side of the debate every time.

I am not even going to quantify what's been stated here nor glorify the ramblings of certain individuals. Just more of the "Nanny State" and their continual ways of extorting revenue out of every day citizens. Glad you like that kind of environment there BRUZILLA. Makes me real confident when I am out driving in traffic. To set the record straight, the colors of traffic lights are designed as follows:

Red ='s Stop
Green ='s Proceed
Yellow ='s Proceed with caution or prepare to Stop.

If I am upon the intersection and the light turns Yellow, I will cautiously proceed to clear the intersection. Again when I am immediately upon the intersection and the light changes to Yellow. If I have time to stop then I will stop. But at times traffic lights will change from Green to Yellow in a matter of seconds and when I am in a position to Stop I will. That is the intent of the Law. Not to speed up and attempt to beat the Red. Same holds true that if one is in an intersection awaiting traffic to clear when making a left hand turn, you are allowed to clear the intersection for the other directions. It doesn't mean that 2-3 cars behind you can attempt to piggy back off your turn which is done all the time. Red Light cameras have proven to be unreliable when measuring these types of so called Red Light infractions, and can be proven as such in the Courts. We do not need these types of devices when driving. We need for Drivers to follow the rules of the Road and keep within the intents of traffic laws. This is just my 2 cents....

 

[clemul]

In my experience, red light cameras installed at intersections lead to a marked increase in motor vehicle accidents that we responded to at the same intersection than before they were installed...mostly rear end accident from drivers locking up the brakes on yellow light because they know the camera is there. They are a good investment for municipalities to grab more money from citizens. Safety is not their concern because the statistics back up what i see on a weekly basis firsthand. In fact in NJ, some municipalities shortened their yellow lights in a blatant attempt to further increase revenue....