All Hail the Almighty Dollar, Red Light Cameras Options

[Cutrara]

I'm not against red light cameras. In fact, I think they're a good idea. What could be bad about reducing thousands of accidents a year? In the eyes of Dallas officials eyes, reducing millions of dollars in fine revenue a year.

"Faced with data showing that drivers pay attention to cameras at intersections — resulting in fewer ticketable violations and ever-shrinking revenue from fines — municipalities across the country are reconsidering red light cameras, which often work too well."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23710970

Just goes to show how the world is driven by the bottom line.

[SlickRick]

I hate them, i just moved to arizona and they have them in random places other then lights. like on the freeway to scottsdale and if u speeding at any hour of the day or night u get a ticket. Down with all of them. Its an invasion of privacy and just down right bull$hit. I ride so i dont think people on bikes can really get them bcuz i heard all u have 2 say is that it was not u riding the bike.

[99Celica]

but officer, it was not me driving the car!

[xs94st]

they are pretty faulty..

i remember the signal out here in riverside off of university used to flash every1 when they were making left turns..protected, green lighted left turns. LOL.

[NaderG]

Man , nothing more important than money , guess they should make the cameras more hidden so people make more mistakes !
-the pictures taken by these cameras are usually reviewed before the tickets go out , thats why that camera in riverside don't give people tickets ( thats not the only faulty one lol ) , i get flashed alot taking right turns on red light when its not illegal , never go a ticket. As for cameras being invasion of privacy ??? how so , they are here to make it safer for everybody , if u dont want it to flash you , don't break the law its trying to enforce



This post has been edited by NaderG: Mar 20, 2008 - 10:09 PM

[BlackCelicaGT94]

its funny theres a post about this. I heard today that alot of them dont even work they are just there to intimidate drivers. well thats in our area atleast. Also, alot of people think theres a camera at intersections but really its a camera used to detect the motion of a car approaching

[hongkongnerdboy]

thought they were traffic cameras for when thiers a accident

[forkee]

i propose a red light spike strip. like those ones that they have with the "do not back up, severe tire damage" warning. light turns red->spikes go up. lets see them argue that one! i guarantee NO ONE will run a red light, hell they will probably brake on a dime when the yellow comes up.

[hongkongnerdboy]

id get owned too.... sometimes when i stop i kidna go over the white strip a little bit :[

[CelicaST_CALI]

its funny theres a post about this. I heard today that alot of them dont even work they are just there to intimidate drivers. well thats in our area atleast. Also, alot of people think theres a camera at intersections but really its a camera used to detect the motion of a car approaching

kinda like the black tinted camera cases in stores with no cameras in them lol,blufffff

This post has been edited by CelicaST_CALI: Mar 21, 2008 - 12:18 AM

[MaskedMan]

I test out all the cameras in the area via company cars .

[creis]

I wish every intersection had a camara, I see so many people running lights or tailling the guy in frunt of them though the red drives me nuts waiting at a green because people feel they can sqeeze though.

+1 for the red light spike strip but then again waithing behind someone who just got spiked would only make traffic worse, how about a big electromagnetic plate above every intersection, you go though the red it sucks you up and your stuck there for 3 hours till it decides you can go.

It really bothers me they would consider taking them out so more people get fined, you would think they could find a new way to give fines to make up the diff if there that poor rather then removing the camaras

This post has been edited by creis: Mar 21, 2008 - 12:35 AM

[ChrisD]

Here you can now get a SPEEDING ticket if you speed past a red light camera.

And don't speed through a red light...

[forkee]

i think the excuse "but that wasn't me in the car!" is the worst excuse one can make. it doesnt matter if you were or were not. the car was issued to SOMEBODY and that person is responsible for the whereabouts of their car, whether or not whoever drives it is insured, and should be liable to any repercussions resulting from traffic fines.

[Galcobar]

That, and the Arizona system, or at least the Scottsdale one, is a two-camera system with one to catch the front of the vehicle and the driver, and the other to catch the licence plate (did an article when red light cameras were introduced into my area in 1999 without that front camera).

They send out the rear licence plate photo with the ticket, and only use the front photo if the ticket is challenged in order to prove who was driving. According to a spokesman, they originally sent out the front photo but there were a few incidents when significant others noticed someone in the car who shouldn't have been there.

[eggman40]

Im glad they dont register speeding here in los angeles... but then again, there really arent too many places to speed here with all the dam traffic!!! but seriously this state is broke as it is and installing these cameras would be EXPENSIVE! and they would also reduce income from fines! doesnt seem like a smart move.

there are many streets in the area that get Reputations over the months when cops decide to crackdown on a particular section of a main road. After about 2 or 3 months you'll start hearing people say "I would take it easy on this street, there are always a lot of cops here"

and the funny thing is that you could tell who lives in the area and who doesnt.... youll see porches and bmw M5's going speed limit and that one jackass in a minivan flies past everyone only to get snagged by bike cop a 1/4 mile down the road. Ive seen it happen time and time again near my school.

(by the way if you are a local... be careful by Cal State Northridge on Nordhoff blvd. In the early morning, and mid day there is almost ALWAYS a cop there on his harley tagging people left and right! lol )

see what i mean? i think thats more effective. No joke this Cop must bring in THOUSANDS of dollars each month! this dude Always has someone pulled over.

[Supersprynt]

i think the excuse "but that wasn't me in the car!" is the worst excuse one can make. it doesnt matter if you were or were not. the car was issued to SOMEBODY and that person is responsible for the whereabouts of their car, whether or not whoever drives it is insured, and should be liable to any repercussions resulting from traffic fines.

It absolutely matters if you were in the car. The car doesn't get the ticket, you do. Individuals break laws, not cars.

Based upon the logic you've presented - someone can steal a car, use it as a get-away car in a bank robbery, and the plate caught on camera and have the owner arrested as an accomplice in a bank robbery.

Speed cameras are bull**** - unless it can be proven that it was you driving the car without a reasonable doubt you cannot bring judgment upon someone with an assumption. What happened to habeas corpus?

[Jeunesse]

anybody ever notive that this thread is a year old? I do agree with Erik though... good points.

[soulshadow]

Back from the dead, untill the day they send out a giant mech to chase you down and fires bullets at you for not stopping. Who cares? just dont speed.

[supershannon77]

I don't think they would put them around here b/c way too many cops run red lights and make illegal turns and such....if its an emergency its one thing but in many cases its not.

[forkee]

i think the excuse "but that wasn't me in the car!" is the worst excuse one can make. it doesnt matter if you were or were not. the car was issued to SOMEBODY and that person is responsible for the whereabouts of their car, whether or not whoever drives it is insured, and should be liable to any repercussions resulting from traffic fines.

It absolutely matters if you were in the car. The car doesn't get the ticket, you do. Individuals break laws, not cars.

Based upon the logic you've presented - someone can steal a car, use it as a get-away car in a bank robbery, and the plate caught on camera and have the owner arrested as an accomplice in a bank robbery.

Speed cameras are bull**** - unless it can be proven that it was you driving the car without a reasonable doubt you cannot bring judgment upon someone with an assumption. What happened to habeas corpus?

well, i mean, obviously if its stolen, it would be reported by the owner, or be placed at the scene of a crime, or have fingerprints, forced entry, etc. of course the owner would be questioned, but not accused of anything, especially when they can prove they were somewhere else when it happened. but im pretty sure 99% of intersection photos are NOT of get away cars.

think about it this way, if you lend someone a weapon because they cannot legally obtain one, and they go on a shooting rampage, you will be held partly responsible. Whether or not you were at the scene of the crime, u were the enabler.

if you show that you keep ur car in reasonable lockdown and not an easy invitation to get stolen (unlocked, keys on the visor, etc) i can guarantee you wont get into any trouble if it gets stolen and runs a redlight.

the police have to blame SOMEBODY and the car didnt just roll into the intersection by itself (although some do). of course they are gonna blame the person that registered it.

another example. if a car gets ticketed for parking illegally or at an expired parking meter, who gets the ticket? the registered owner. even if they let their kid drive it that day. or their dad. or mother in law. why?? because it's the owner's responsibility to be competent enough to be a safe driver and entrust no one else with their vehicle.

[crankyelbow]

I stand firmly by:

No harm No foul.

As the autobahn runs... very loose restrictions, go as fast as you desire just be careful with your life as it effects others.

Who cares if you run a red light... if you made it through, obviously you had the opportunity to make it through. Red light or green light, if your paying attention you have a greater chance of making it through. The lights are only a suggestion, its up to the people to obey or not.

Chicago lights are horrible... absolutely horrible. And there are hundreds if not thousands of random "no turn on red" signs. If I can safely go I should be able to go! Forget the color of the light, if its 3AM and nobody is on the road, why should I do more than slow down and check to see if anyone is coming while blowing right on through the red light?

But see... without the camera, its no harm no foul.

With the camera, its no harm big ticket... that doesn't even make sense.

Kinda like the "war" on drugs, how do you totally eliminate someone's freedom and consequently use them for ultra cheap labor while inciting their environment to be EXTREMELY violent... for doing something to themselves?

Stop signs, lights, speed limits... really any sign is just a *suggestion* - a GUIDE to help us navigate the roads safely. We are NOT supposed to be fined or in any way inconvienenced simply for driving our cars down the street!

I've never voted, I don't want ANYONE to represent me... I never signed on to these signs and regulations... I think they are absurd.

I also don't believe in license plates, stickers (even NoS stickers), or licenses to drive. A truly free society cannot include such restrictions... and as long as laws as a whole are place (lets not even throw money into the equation.......) logical thought will not be the driving force behind each and everyones action - someone somewhere is just gonna align themselves with the system and work their way within it... as opposed to deciding for themselves how the world should be and helping to create such a place!

The world doesn't change by thinking "we just gotta stop at the stop lights"...

The world changes when we all realize stoplights are obsolete... let alone those silly cameras, and even further the silly tax applied to not following the silly rules.

[forkee]

am i the only one here that backs up our rules of the road??

if everyone was free to do whatever the hell they wanted, im sure the death toll would be tenfold. freedom is an idea. there is no place anywhere that will ever have 100% freedom for everyone. if i wanted to kick you, i would be eliminating your freedom of being in a kick free world.

all road signs are a guide AND not just a suggestion. THEY ARE THE LAW. they are there to replace some yoke that would stand there and tell each car how to behave when approaching it. ever notice the lines on the road? they are not just pretty dashes and massaging bumps. you're actually SUPPOSED to drive within them and abide by where it guides you. whomever told you you could just drive wherever the hell you wanted, thats the way it should be, etc. etc. obviously got their license taken away, never got it in the first place, or drives around in a field or other non regulated area.

when you study to get your driver's license, the manual says that for a stop sign or red light you STOP. it doesnt say "well you know, you're suppose to come to complete stop but hey if everything looks clear and nobody's around dont worry i wont tell anyone you kept on going." it actually says you MUST STOP. same goes for every other sign. notice that it commands you to do an action. not just suggest that you might want to do something. when a school bus flips out their stop sign, do u keep on going just because u dont see any kids? no..now tell me why? are you abiding it because it says stop? probably not because hey its just a "suggestion" to you. or that maybe, just maybe, you know that there could a kid that u dont see, run the f out of nowhere right in front of you.

a driver's license shows that at the time it was issued, the driver demonstrated competency in understanding and following the rules of the road and can operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner for themselves, any passengers, as well as anyone else in the vicinity. as soon as you get behind the wheel and start driving onto state roads, you automagically signed into an agreement that you will follow the rules of the road and accept all responsibility of your actions. if you dont like it, dont drive.

there's order........and then there's chaos. with the idea of freedom bouncing between them. personally, i prefer order. society only works when theres order. notice that the idea of success starts with order, then disappears as it gets closer to chaos.

[Rayme]

I stand firmly by:

No harm No foul.

As the autobahn runs... very loose restrictions, go as fast as you desire just be careful with your life as it effects others.

Who cares if you run a red light... if you made it through, obviously you had the opportunity to make it through. Red light or green light, if your paying attention you have a greater chance of making it through. The lights are only a suggestion, its up to the people to obey or not.

Chicago lights are horrible... absolutely horrible. And there are hundreds if not thousands of random "no turn on red" signs. If I can safely go I should be able to go! Forget the color of the light, if its 3AM and nobody is on the road, why should I do more than slow down and check to see if anyone is coming while blowing right on through the red light?

But see... without the camera, its no harm no foul.

With the camera, its no harm big ticket... that doesn't even make sense.

Kinda like the "war" on drugs, how do you totally eliminate someone's freedom and consequently use them for ultra cheap labor while inciting their environment to be EXTREMELY violent... for doing something to themselves?

Stop signs, lights, speed limits... really any sign is just a *suggestion* - a GUIDE to help us navigate the roads safely. We are NOT supposed to be fined or in any way inconvienenced simply for driving our cars down the street!

I've never voted, I don't want ANYONE to represent me... I never signed on to these signs and regulations... I think they are absurd.

I also don't believe in license plates, stickers (even NoS stickers), or licenses to drive. A truly free society cannot include such restrictions... and as long as laws as a whole are place (lets not even throw money into the equation.......) logical thought will not be the driving force behind each and everyones action - someone somewhere is just gonna align themselves with the system and work their way within it... as opposed to deciding for themselves how the world should be and helping to create such a place!

The world doesn't change by thinking "we just gotta stop at the stop lights"...

The world changes when we all realize stoplights are obsolete... let alone those silly cameras, and even further the silly tax applied to not following the silly rules.

you make no sense.. I see what you are trying to explain but your solutions need more thought. Abolition of laws will not be replaced by the people's common sense..never. laws should not interfere with your life if you are "good" citizen to begin with.

[GMan]

Red light cameras are used to raise revenue.
Especially if city/towns shorten yellow lights.

National Motorists Association
http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/

Regards;
------------------------------

[Chhaos]

I stand firmly by:

No harm No foul.

As the autobahn runs... very loose restrictions, go as fast as you desire just be careful with your life as it effects others.

Who cares if you run a red light... if you made it through, obviously you had the opportunity to make it through. Red light or green light, if your paying attention you have a greater chance of making it through. The lights are only a suggestion, its up to the people to obey or not.

Chicago lights are horrible... absolutely horrible. And there are hundreds if not thousands of random "no turn on red" signs. If I can safely go I should be able to go! Forget the color of the light, if its 3AM and nobody is on the road, why should I do more than slow down and check to see if anyone is coming while blowing right on through the red light?

But see... without the camera, its no harm no foul.

With the camera, its no harm big ticket... that doesn't even make sense.

Kinda like the "war" on drugs, how do you totally eliminate someone's freedom and consequently use them for ultra cheap labor while inciting their environment to be EXTREMELY violent... for doing something to themselves?

Stop signs, lights, speed limits... really any sign is just a *suggestion* - a GUIDE to help us navigate the roads safely. We are NOT supposed to be fined or in any way inconvienenced simply for driving our cars down the street!

I've never voted, I don't want ANYONE to represent me... I never signed on to these signs and regulations... I think they are absurd.

I also don't believe in license plates, stickers (even NoS stickers), or licenses to drive. A truly free society cannot include such restrictions... and as long as laws as a whole are place (lets not even throw money into the equation.......) logical thought will not be the driving force behind each and everyones action - someone somewhere is just gonna align themselves with the system and work their way within it... as opposed to deciding for themselves how the world should be and helping to create such a place!

The world doesn't change by thinking "we just gotta stop at the stop lights"...

The world changes when we all realize stoplights are obsolete... let alone those silly cameras, and even further the silly tax applied to not following the silly rules.

I don't know about you but running a red light can be a very big harm. I live right around one of the largest universities in America and have seen MANY people almost get broadsided by someone doing 50 mp/h just because they wanted to run a red light. It is a very dangerous thing. I honestly feel a lot more comfortable driving around here now that red light cameras have been installed. And basically you are saying all roads should be like the autobahn, no speed limit and no traffic guidance, just everyone doing what they please when they please (correct me if I am wrong but that is how I interpret it.) The only problem with this is that entire system of thinking is just absurd. Let's have no speed limit. Ok, what are you going to do when you are doing 120 in your Celica and a Ford GT comes barreling down the road at 200 and just completely wipes you and him out? Also, no traffic guidance? Again, you are stopped, there is a slight hill and you are waiting for a clear shot to go. You start to go and again don't realize there is a car doing 150 and broadsides your car. Also, I know this is a bit extreme, but wouldn't having no road laws make it free for us to drive 70 through a residential gated community where little kids play in the street. I realize some people have the common sense to be logical and know to drive slow in certain situations like that but if you give some people an inch they will run a mile. There are reasons these laws are in effect. It is not just so lawmakers and cops can have jobs. It is the simple fact that it helps save lives. Plain and simple. The government is not always out to destroy our lives and make us suffer. It might be hard to believe but sometimes they want to help us and make the roads, and daily life for that matter, a safer place.

Just saying.