Posted on 03/28/2011 6:09:47 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
As Interstate 95 sweeps past this small town along South Carolina's coastal plain, motorists encounter cameras that catch speeding cars, the only such devices on the open interstate for almost 2,000 miles from Canada to Miami.
The cameras have nabbed thousands of motorists, won accolades from highway safety advocates, attracted heated opposition from state lawmakers and sparked a federal court challenge.
Ridgeland Mayor Gary Hodges said the cameras in his town about 20 miles north of the Georgia line do what they are designed to do: slow people down, reduce accidents and, most importantly, save lives.
But lawmakers who want to unplug them argue the system is just a money-maker and amounts to unconstitutional selective law enforcement.
"We're absolutely shutting it down," said state Sen. Larry Grooms, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yeah... because vandalism and murder (the van is occupied) is the answer when you don’t get to do whatever you want. Remember, it’s all about ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!
What should the speed limit on I-95 be? What authority do you have for such position? Why should you get to determine what the speed limit on the highway is? If you claim that there should be NO speed limit, can you justify such a position?
....and bring hundreds of thousands of dollars in fine revenue to the village ... actually the JP and the police chief, for I doubt the village is much more than that.
Paging Mr. Molotov.
Mike
Cameras are not about safety, they are about revenue. You want to slow people down then post a cop there to hand out tickets.
IIRC, An OH town tried setting up speed traps (both ways..) on an interstate that had all of 200ft in the town “boundaries”. Must have been back in the 1970s.
Times Beach no longer exists, except as Route 66 State Park.
Coincidence?
Georgia seems to have an inordinate amount of speed traps. On a recent trip I noticed a older car going about 10 mph faster than everyone else. No markings but it was driven by a uniformed trooper.
My guess is they were using it like a bait car since many people will get in behind faster cars.
...do what they are designed to do: slow people down, reduce accidents and, most importantly, save lives.
If they are nabbing thousands of motorists, apparently they are not slowing people down.
Probably because they people don't know they were photographed until a couple weeks later when they receive the ticket.
If the Camera can do it better, why not use the Camera? You don't like the Camera, because it can catch more people at once than a Police Officer can.
What should the speed limit on 1-95 be?
“Then a Mercedes with South Carolina tags sped by going 83 — 13 mph over the speed limit. A camera fired and pictures of the tag and driver appeared on a monitor in the van. The unaware motorist continued north, but could expect a $133 ticket in the mail in a couple of weeks.”
Note “unaware”. So the speeder doesn’t get pulled over, may not know they are speeding and no one sees him/her get pulled over. How does this enhance safety? Does this municipality have access to out-of-state tag info?
I like the idea of facing my accuser. You can’t cross examine a camera.
Think the ones who were mailed a ticket will slow down next time they drive that stretch of highway?
Cameras don't catch people. They catch license plates.
“If the Camera can do it better, why not use the Camera? You don’t like the Camera, because it can catch more people at once than a Police Officer can. “
yep, cameras are better at raising revenue than a cop is.
“What should the speed limit on 1-95 be?”
70 or 75. Now its my turn to ask questions. What should be done with public officials who lie about the reasons they are pushing camera systems in order to raise revenue? The very same public officials who make sweetheart deals with the companies who run the camera systems.
Ok, they do get out-of-state drivers.
I didn't argue for any such position. I didn't argue it wan't effective. And while it may be effective, its primary purpose was to raise revenue.
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