[jim_trent]

There are more cameras going up every day. This should have been fought 10 to 15 years ago. It is pretty much a done deal now.

[Moose4]

I’m surprised that rear-end accidents would go down with those cameras are put in. I figured that serious T-bones would decrease, but rear-end fender-benders would go up because of people slamming on their brakes.

}:-)4

[Army Air Corps]

This man has been pushing to have these things eliminated.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

...rear-end accidents dipped 57 percent at those intersections.

Out of context that could have a very high giggle factor?

[scan59]

T-bone accidents are much more likely to kill or cripple than rear-end accidents. I was totally against red-light cameras, but now I’m not so sure. I see people running red lights all the time in Dallas, talking on their cell phones and completely self-absorbed in their own importance.

[libertarian27]

They better make sure their yellow light clearance intervals are correct.

I beat a ticket on a poorly timed yellow. The light still isn’t adjusted correctly, I contacted the town, etc.

[TLI]

The city added cameras each month through June and now has 60 operating throughout Dallas.

The money from the tickets that is cut for City of Dallas was supposed to "go to area hospitals." That how they sold this thing at the city councle. Does it?

NOPE. It goes to the general fund. And then vanishes.

[driftdiver]

“This should have been fought 10 to 15 years ago. It is pretty much a done deal now.”

Only because most people won’t say anything. Its another example of incrementalism. Our children will grow up in a world where there have always been cameras watching your every move.

Oh does this story include details about the company that modified the yellow time so they could increase the number of tickets. By decreasing the amount of time the light spends with the yellow light on drivers dont have adequate time to react and more tickets are given. The company gets a cut of the fine.

[jim_trent]

Increasing the yellow-interval above that recommended by the ITE formula (usually considered to be between 3 and 5 seconds) does not increase safety. In fact, it can decrease safety. Numerous studies have shown that increasing the yellow-interval above that recommended by ITE may briefly reduce accidents. However, within a short period of time (ranging from 3 months to a year), drivers familiar with the intersection will learn of the longer yellow-interval and abuse it (the tendency for motorists to do this is referred to as ‘habituation’ in the literature). Afterward, the initial reduction in accidents will disappear and the safety at the intersection will drop to its previous level or become even worse.

And, yes, I do know of that ONE paper that indicates a yellow-indication of 5.5 seconds will slightly increase safety long term (see *). However, even that researcher does not recommend a yellow-interval longer than 5.5 seconds so, at most, we are arguing about 1/2 of a second. Only un-credentialed crackpots have suggested longer yellow-intervals. None of them have published anything that has survived peer review.

http://www.motorists.com/issues/enforce/studies/TRB2004-001228.pdf *
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/4027-2.pdf
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/TRB_82/TRB2003-000136.pdf
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/TRB_82/TRB2003-000943.pdf
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/TRB_82/TRB2003-000285.pdf
http://stc.utk.edu/htm/pdf%20files/red.pdf
http://www.uritc.uri.edu/media/finalreportspdf/536146.pdf
etc.

[PAR35]

Red light running was a Dallas pasttime. When the light went green, you have to wait for about 5 seconds to make sure you don't get nailed. Longer periods of red in all direction weren't solving the problem.

For those who complain about the cameras - you brought it on yourself.