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Red light cameras too good for their own good?
MSNBC ^ | 21 March 2008 | Alex Johnson

Posted on 03/21/2008 2:41:20 AM PDT by roaddog727

Last week, Dallas officials reviewed the numbers and decided that a quarter of the cameras they had installed to catch motorists running red lights were too effective. So they shut them down.

They are not alone. 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Free Republic; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: redlight; redlightcamera; redlightcameras; revenue; stoplight; traffic; traffictickets
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Put's things into stark perspective. Municipalities would prefer to have traffic fine revenue as opposed to reduce traffic accidents.

Such crap.

Even more reason to install them.

As always, have at it.

1 posted on 03/21/2008 2:41:21 AM PDT by roaddog727
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To: roaddog727

Last year I was driving through intersections daily that had these cameras installed. What I found was that it added still one more thing to be aware of at the intersection. As you drive through several flashes go off, and I don’t care how careful you are, you still wind up second-guessing yourself. ‘Did I do something wrong?’

Most of the time they go off, you can’t see anyone making a mistake. It really makes you wonder what the heck is going on.


2 posted on 03/21/2008 2:53:03 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: roaddog727

It’s hard to avoid a ticket when the yellow light is programmed for 2 seconds. Municipalities will find a way to recoup their losses from people stop on a dime and end up being rear-ended.


3 posted on 03/21/2008 2:55:44 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: roaddog727

The obvious bureaucratic solution is to layoff traffic cops to offset the revenue short fall. But more unintended consequences will follow.


4 posted on 03/21/2008 3:19:21 AM PDT by shove_it (and have a nice day)
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To: roaddog727

The reason for the cameras is safety, not revenue for the city coffers. Now we find that the city fathers want people to get killed at intersections just so they have more money to spend.


5 posted on 03/21/2008 3:43:48 AM PDT by chainsaw ( No black racist Muslims in the WH.)
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OOPS where did our ticket revenue go?

I wish I could find an article about the small town that was basically just a speed trap. I forgot how it all worked out, but they wrote so many tickets that they ended up somehow owing the state money. It was years ago so it would be tough to find...


6 posted on 03/21/2008 3:44:42 AM PDT by KneelBeforeZod (I have five dollars for each of you)
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To: roaddog727

What idiots. I heard this on the news the other day. If it really was safety, they could have installed fake ones and signs for a fraction of the monthly fee they are paying to the camera companies.


7 posted on 03/21/2008 4:09:26 AM PDT by doodad
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To: freeangel

That is how they raise revenue.

I’d read an article some time ago about when collections would go down, the yellows were shortened to provide more.

The net effect was a drastic increase in rear-end collisions.


8 posted on 03/21/2008 4:16:39 AM PDT by RangerM (Get your own.)
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To: KneelBeforeZod

Ludowici, Georgia?


9 posted on 03/21/2008 4:20:07 AM PDT by Banjoguy (Nancy Pelosi is an anti-American traitor.)
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To: shove_it

A better solution is to have traffic cops working on serious crimes, like tracking down all those unsolved rapists and murderers.


10 posted on 03/21/2008 4:41:19 AM PDT by tbw2 ("Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell" by Tamara Wilhite - on amazon.com)
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To: KneelBeforeZod

New Rome, Ohio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rome,_Ohio


11 posted on 03/21/2008 4:53:02 AM PDT by xeno
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To: roaddog727
How have they failed to see the obvious solution?

Eliminate the yellow light!

12 posted on 03/21/2008 4:54:58 AM PDT by Erasmus (Regarding the Republican and the Democrat campaigns: From the ridiculous to the slime.)
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To: KneelBeforeZod
I wish I could find an article about the small town that was basically just a speed trap.

New Rome, a suburb of Columbus, OH derived all its revenue from being a speed trap. New Rome was finally dissolved a few years ago. The Village had no activities other than running the speed trap.

13 posted on 03/21/2008 5:01:27 AM PDT by Loyal Buckeye
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To: roaddog727
They're only mad that the "red light" cameras resulted in Spitzer having to resign. /sarc>

Cheers!

14 posted on 03/21/2008 5:07:51 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: freeangel

If it is actually 2 seconds, you have a strong case in court. The ITE has a bottom limit of 3 seconds for small intersections in low speed locations. The longest they recommend is 5 seconds (although one guy is pushing for 5.5 seconds). There is an actual formula that can be used to tell what the yellow time should be.


15 posted on 03/21/2008 5:29:53 AM PDT by jim_trent
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To: chainsaw
"The reason for the cameras is safety, not revenue for the city coffers"

Yeah, right! Then how about offenders only having to do community service!

16 posted on 03/21/2008 6:02:25 AM PDT by Dacus943
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To: jim_trent

“If it is actually 2 seconds, you have a strong case in court.”

There have been numerous instances where the contractor responsible for managing the cameras decrease the time on yellow. Their contracts generally include profit sharing and if there are not adequate tickets handed out they lose money.

Some people in Dallas went to the trouble to time the lights in order to monitor the city. Apparently even after the city knew the yellow time was too short they took no action.


17 posted on 03/21/2008 6:08:34 AM PDT by driftdiver
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To: driftdiver

Dallas sucks. I drive up there a couple of times a month. The highways are toll roads, it is confusing as to which lanes to take, they have on ramps after off ramps and traffic is horrendous.


18 posted on 03/21/2008 6:37:56 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Shouldn't the libs love a Hunter Thompson ticket in 08?)
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To: roaddog727
I am amazed at the response here. Obviously the conclusion is that cities put these things in to raise revenue, and when they don't make enough money to pay the costs of the contractor who runs the whole scam, they take them out.

Funny thing that it turns out to be about the money and not about the children.

What part about human venality don't folks understand around here?

19 posted on 03/21/2008 6:39:01 AM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: AndyJackson

Of course it’s about the money. How else can my sister’s bf, who has multiple dui’s, still not have to do any jail time. Right now he’s got two warrants for not paying his fines, and he’s driving without a license and has had his registration on his truck revoked due to his insurance being cancelled due to his not having a valid driver’s license. Yeah, they (court system) care so much about the public’s safety...not. Just the money it generates from fines and such.


20 posted on 03/21/2008 7:09:39 AM PDT by Not just another dumb blonde
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