Posted on 11/11/2009 3:35:33 PM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
instead of fewer accidents, the number of traffic accidents has gone up at most of the Los Angeles intersections where red-light cameras have been installed.
(Excerpt) Read more at laobserved.com ...
Since the lying assholes who authorized the installation of them claim that they were put up for “safety”, they they should take them down for safety.
Usually, yellow time decreases at these camera intersections. That’s how they get more money - people end up barely running the newly shortened yellow and get a ticket and pay the fine.
That’s what it’s about... money.
These cameras will not improve safety but the whole program was to create revenue and enrich the company making them.
When you shorten yellows lights to up ticket profits, you guarantee more people panic stopping and more accidents.
Most of these things need to be shot down any time they are installed or repaired until it becomes much to expensive to maintain them.
Exactly.
The yellow lights are so short in Renton, WA., I waste the extra gas to avoid those intersections. Why risk a hundred buck ticket?
The only way the cameras will come down is if all those involved in these accidents sue the city in a civil court for damages. In essence, having the civil court judge rule that the accident was largely due to the unsafe conditions created by red-light cameras.
When the city finds that red-light cameras are now a net loss to the city coffers, then they’ll come down.
PS: I'll take a yellow but NEVER count on the red delay - once its turned green for me and people are still running a red I'll sometimes honk and glare at them ... oh and that's not me in the fast lane doing five under with my blinker on ... nor am I the guy tailgating you but if there are three lanes I will pass your sorry slow a$$ butt parked in the fast lane with your left blinker on ... ;-)
Oops - violating a time-honored FR tradition I read the article: “What happens, apparently, is that some percentage of drivers who see the camera flash slam on the brakes, then are hit from behind. The cities of Montclair, Upland, El Monte and Fullerton have discontinued red-light cameras in part because of accidents, says” ... It really ticks off my wife ... me always right ... ;-)
Yellow lights have not been shortened in L.A. The green light blinks in a countdown. If it is a 20 second light it starts at 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 and so on. You are not caught off guard.
I’m sick of people who run lights.
Savannah, GA has been putting them up all over the city. But they recently took one down for that very reason: not making any money on the red light camera DESPITE the initially cited reason as “increased safety.”
IIRC, the GA legislature passed law last year that said every intersection with red-light cameras had to adhere to state engineering standards for yellow light duration.
When that was done, the lights no longer paid for themselves.
The British company managing the red-light camera revenue system for the city of Norcross in Gwinnett County suspended collecting payments from the city for their contract while they looked for ways to make the system profitable again.
Last I heard, they still hadn't come up with any ideas.
Perhaps l.a. is the exception, but it’s become common practice in many locations.
Of course they deny it happens, but there are some places that have been caught playing with the timers.
http://blog.motorists.org/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/
Wanna go on a midnight run with me....?
LOL, that’s the best offer I’ve had in years.
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