Bill Would Let Michigan Install Red-Light Cameras

CBS 62 ^ | 5-24-2013

[Average Al]

And here we thought it was terrorists, not camera's being torched. :-)

[cripplecreek]

Legendary talk show host Jay Leno views speed cameras as one of the reasons the UK no longer feels like a free country. Appearing Sunday on the top-rated BBC show Top Gear, Leno suggested that as a visitor, the number of cameras in England is overwhelming. He also suggested that US drivers have a much less tolerant attitude toward photo enforcement.

“See in L.A., people would say, ‘why not just shoot them out?’” Leno said. “In L.A., a day doesn’t go by you don’t see a styrofoam cup stuck over the lens of the speed camera.”

The line about shooting speed cameras drew both laughter and great applause from the crowd. Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson even appeared momentarily surprised at his counterpart’s suggestion of vigilantism.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/28/2859.asp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0XtNGuijqc

[Secret Agent Man]

government cares nothing about safety.

all this is, is revenue generation.

they screw around with the light times to trap more people now running redlights.

they shrink the yellow light times and screw people. also they can angle them improperly and claim to catch people running red lights when they aren’t.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I think its pretty unlikely to pass here.

If things look bad, promote the idea that they will cause rear-end accidents unless the traffic lights are equipped with digital countdown displays. These exist. I’ve seen them in Turkey, and they probably have been used elsewhere.

There is IMHO not that much of a reason to fight cameras if everyone knows in advance when the light will turn red - but then, if everyone knows when the light will turn red, there won’t be many violations and thus, not much revenue. Advocating the timer displays seems to me to be a good way to smoke out the actual motive for the cameras.

[cripplecreek]

A countdown display makes sense with normal lights. On the other hand I don’t want to pay for them.

[goat granny]

I wonder how a red light camera asks questions of the defendent...how does this camera answer questions asked by the defendents lawyer....

At one table we have a camera and at the other table we have the defendent....the camera cannot ask the prosecutor to ask questions for him....its all just that silly...the defendent has a right to question his accuser....I'd like to hear the cameras answers..

[TomasUSMC]

Just more ways for a government which can PRINT ITS OWN MONEY.....STILL wants to STEAL MORE OF OURS. Next they will have cameras to make sure you don’t park to far or too close to the curb, put your signal on when you change lanes and make a turn, stop completely at a stop light, don’t accelerate to fast and burn extra gas.

[TomasUSMC]

Just more ways for a government which can PRINT ITS OWN MONEY.....STILL wants to STEAL MORE OF OURS. Next they will have cameras to make sure you don’t park to far or too close to the curb, put your signal on when you change lanes and make a turn, stop completely at a stop light, don’t accelerate to fast and burn extra gas.

[Fresh Wind]

I’ve seen countdown timers here, always as part of walk/don’t walk signs. As I recall, when they reach zero, the light goes yellow.