Posted on 02/11/2013 9:45:04 PM PST by george76
Two months after the City Council thought they voted to add more red-light cameras, Mayor Bill Foster slammed the brakes on the increase.
Foster's announcement came at a council meeting Thursday after a frequent camera critic pointed out possible problems with the timing of yellow lights at intersections with cameras.
Resident Matt Florell gave council members a report this week that showed that 1,645 drivers might have received improper citations because the yellow lights changed to red quicker than they should have in some intersections.
Foster said he needs more time to examine the program because the cameras are generating so much talk in the community.
...
City records showed that rear-end wrecks at intersections with red light cameras spiked 44 percent between November 2011 and October. Also, total crashes actually jumped 10 percent at intersections with cameras in the program's first year.
(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...
I’m an hour and a half north of St. Pete and the red light cameras that were up didn’t make a damn bit of difference.
People ran lights all the time.
best thing to help you with these is the escort 9500ix. and the plastic license plate covers that distort your license at angles so the cameras can’t record your plates.
I participated in a corruption investigation involving many jurisdictions several years ago. I was stunned at the money those cash cows were producing and how much lobbying and donations were being stuffed into PACs by the red light camera industry. The amounts were staggering. For example Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger received a $200K campaign donation from ACS (one of the most well known red light manufacturers and program administrators). I also found instances where city council members were given “donation” by red light camera administrators. A lot of cities in Californis got caught shortening their yellow light times to generate more revenue. Not only is that unethical as hell but was actually causing more accidents due to drivers rearending each other trying to clear the intersection so they wouldn’t get a ticket! Cities like Washington DC were generating like 5 - 7 Million off one light per year! One of the red light cameras even setup a Red Light Coalition group which was actually run by a professional PR firm to promote red light cameras and get the public stirred up about them by skewing statistics and using emotion to getthe public to approve of them. Sound familiar. They operate just the same as someone we know in the WH. The red light cameras are solely about generating revenue and thatt is how the program is sold to ciity and county government with very little empasis placedon safety.
Well spoken and very true.
I bet the "Remove the Red Light Camera Party" could beat the local Republicrat for Mayor in most places.
Promise to not only remove the cameras but make it illegal to install them in the jurisdiction.
Target the industry, and any politician who supports them must be defeated.
(in my imitation of a strong New York accent)
“What’s the problem? If you don’t like red light cameras get stronger bumpers for your car.”
Actually, there should be criminal liability for anyone that is shown to have shortened the yellow lights. Anyone.
“One of the red light cameras even setup a Red Light Coalition group which was actually run by a professional PR firm to promote red light cameras and get the public stirred up about them by skewing statistics and using emotion to getthe public to approve of them. Sound familiar.”
Yep, it winds up that’s their common tactic, and there our dozens of “local” websites around the country laid out the same way and saying the same things about red light cameras.
Also, what you find from your research is ONLY what has been reported. I suspect there have also been a lot of really nice lunches and behind-the-bench seating at Laker Games, if you know what I mean.
If you want to stop these red light cameras from growing, here’s what you do: any time you approach an intersection with a red light camera, if you even think you see something yellow you STAND on the break pedal, especially if you think someone will rear end you. Then lawyer up and sue the insurance company of the guy who hit you. Every time. When insurance companies start seeing the added expense caused by these cameras pile up, they’ll have their lobbiests to bribe, er, I mean make campaign contributions to politicians who will remove the cameras. Spread the pain to the people who are really running government.
> Also, what you find from your research is ONLY what has been reported. I suspect there have also been a lot of really nice lunches and behind-the-bench seating at Laker Games, if you know what I mean.
We found some things like that as well. Lots and lots of political connections. All you has to do was follow the money. The money spent on campaign donations was staggering so their profit levels must have been way up there. All they had to do was basically tell the cities something like “how would you like to spend $40K of your taxpayers dollars for a red light camera installation and receive anywhere from 20 - 1000 times back that revenue PLUS it’s pretty much self operating and only requires a minimum staff to administrate it; someone to review the footage and mail out citations and someone to collect it? You know those budget shortfalls you have (that’s caused by a government that can’t stop spending or siphoning and diverting it into the pockets of politicians and special interests)...GONE. And on top of that we’ll contribute $2000 to your “campaign” PAC if you can talk the other city council members into approving it”. Well heck yrah, where do I sign on the dotted line.
That was basically the gist of what we came across over and over again in regard to city governments and their red light camera programs...
Yea...they just suck it up. They would love to have toll gates, but this is the next best thing. It was about the first thing that came to my mind...and it’s always like that, when you see politicians acting against their people. Figure out how the money is flowing. And I bet one thing, it wasn’t mayors knocking at the door of ATS because of problems at intersections, it was the other way around...in EVERY CASE.
By the way, did you investigate the percent of “right turn violations” that these cameras give out. Those tickets have virtually nothing to do with safety...but without them, the cameras probably wouldn’t even make a profit. I’ve heard that’s 98% of the ‘violations’ at some intersections.
Sure, but, hey! That's just the price you pay for increased revenuye.
> By the way, did you investigate the percent of “right turn violations” that these cameras give out. Those tickets have virtually nothing to do with safety...but without them, the cameras probably wouldn’t even make a profit. I’ve heard that’s 98% of the ‘violations’ at some intersections.
Didn’t really investigate that aspect but noted it. Seems it’s caused by the position of the camera angle. There’s someone designated to review the “infractions” and is supposed to “toss” those. I bet the breeding municipalities just figured that most would pay them without contest which is despicable in my book.
> By the way, did you investigate the percent of “right turn violations” that these cameras give out. Those tickets have virtually nothing to do with safety...but without them, the cameras probably wouldn’t even make a profit. I’ve heard that’s 98% of the ‘violations’ at some intersections.
Didn’t really investigate that aspect but noted it. Seems it’s caused by the position of the camera angle. There’s someone designated to review the “infractions” and is supposed to “toss” those. I bet the greedy municipalities just figured that most would pay them without contest which is despicable in my book.
“Didn’t really investigate that aspect but noted it. Seems it’s caused by the position of the camera angle.”
No, you’re missing the elephant in the living room. The cameras, in many many cases (probably the vast majority), are snapping pictures of every car that doesn’t come to a FULL STOP, behind the line, prior to making a right turn on red. Considering that only 5% of the cars actually do stop legally (and I only do it in my old cars), it’s a total cash cow for the government, and it doesn’t do jack for safety.
Red Light Cameras are 100% pure scam.
I used to coordinate the resolution of red light camera violations for a major municipal department in California. To make a long story short, after seeing hundreds of questionable tickets, no one gets more anxious approaching a red light extortion intersection than me.
Do not allow them to be installed in your town, city or state!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.