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Report: Southern California Red Light Cameras Fail To Reduce Accidents
The Newspaper ^ | 8/26/2015

Posted on 08/30/2015 8:34:43 AM PDT by george76

Analysis finds no safety improvement from red light cameras in Garden Grove and Los Alamitos, California.

Red light cameras are disappearing from California. Once the state had more than a hundred cities using automated ticketing machines, but by now a greater number of jurisdictions have canceled their programs than have functional cameras. On Monday, the Los Alamitos city council decided to keep its cameras despite a new report showing the devices have not improved safety.

Jay Beeber, Executive Director of Safer Streets LA, provided his analysis of the safety impact of photo enforcement use to the city councils in Los Alamitos and nearby Garden Grove, which is also mulling an extension of its contract with embattled Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia.

...

In January, the city increased the duration of yellow lights at each camera intersection by 0.5 seconds in compliance with new state regulations. The number of automated tickets issued citywide plunged 61 percent overnight.

(Excerpt) Read more at thenewspaper.com ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: photoradar; redflex; redlight; redlightcamera; redlightcameras; revenuegenerators

1 posted on 08/30/2015 8:34:43 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

That wasn’t their purpose.


2 posted on 08/30/2015 8:36:33 AM PDT by umgud
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To: george76

Red light cameras aren’t about stopping accidents. They’re about generating revenue.


3 posted on 08/30/2015 8:37:09 AM PDT by Maceman
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To: george76

Reducing accidents was never the goal. Increasing revenue based on automated ticketing was the goal. The cameras actually increase accidents.


4 posted on 08/30/2015 8:37:53 AM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: george76

Red light cameras do generate more revenue, while at the same time sudden stop rear end collisions are more numerous — but, hey, as long as the government rakes in more money, do they care?


5 posted on 08/30/2015 8:38:14 AM PDT by Amagi (Lenin: "Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.")
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To: umgud

Yes, it was to raise money for city kauffers. Since Mrs Bigedlb was nailed at Valley View and Lampson, Garden Grove CA... This is a timely article for me...LOL


6 posted on 08/30/2015 8:39:17 AM PDT by BigEdLB (Theorks for Hillary.y need to target the 'Ministry of Virtue' which has nothing to do with virtue.)
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To: george76

I would of guessed they increased accidents. Many cities are removing red lights for this reason.

If someone gets a ticket from a red light camera the next time they are at that intersection and see a yellow they will inclined to slam on the brakes, causing a rear-end collision.


7 posted on 08/30/2015 8:40:57 AM PDT by Vic S
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To: umgud

It sounds to me that you are as jaded as I.
Red light cameras, speed cameras even, DUI check points are more about revenue than traffic safety.

Wait. Wait.

All about revenue. Safety has nothing to do with it. That is just the propaganda for the masses.


8 posted on 08/30/2015 8:51:42 AM PDT by Tupelo (Trump is no Reagan, but he is a fighter.")
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To: Vic S
And of course reducing yellow light duration based on too few tickets occurring should result in attempted manslaughter charges against the municipality and the administrators of the systems.
9 posted on 08/30/2015 8:53:23 AM PDT by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: george76
What about the children?

/S

10 posted on 08/30/2015 9:05:09 AM PDT by hadaclueonce (I thought Ethanol was the devil, now i find it is America is an Oligarchy)
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To: Tupelo

The town I’ve worked in for 27 years has always had 25 mph speed limits, but the lights are timed for 35 mph.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of speeding tickets though.

Maybe the 25 mph limit is so they can meet the rules for road funding, and the 35 mph timing is so they can keep the citizens happy.


11 posted on 08/30/2015 10:04:41 AM PDT by seowulf (Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum. Cogito.---Ambrose Bierce)
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To: george76

They are revenue generators for money hungry municipalities.

They also cause accidents. There are more rear end collisions at traffic lights when a nervous driver slams on the brakes rather than proceed through a light that just moved from green to yellow.

Lastly, in San Diego, the private company operator who was getting a piece of the revenue changed the timing on the yellow lights. State law requires that the yellow time period be set based upon the speed limit on the street. The higher the speed limit, the longer the yellow period. The operator actually shortened the yellow time periods. In the end, tickets were negated and San Diego dropped the traffic light cameras.


12 posted on 08/30/2015 10:07:24 AM PDT by CdMGuy
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To: george76

I lived in one city that allowed the voters to ban red light cameras, sadly I had to move to one that embraces them. One of the worst features of red light camera intersections that I rail about is the lack of countdown timers to let drivers know when the light is going to change. My firm belief is that the lack is to support revenue collection but is also to blame for many rear end collisions.


13 posted on 08/30/2015 10:10:53 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Mastador1

Extra short yellow lights increase revenue to the government and rear end & other accidents.


14 posted on 08/30/2015 10:14:09 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76
Extra short yellow lights increase revenue to the government and rear end & other accidents.

Variable yellow light duration works even better.

15 posted on 08/30/2015 10:47:31 PM PDT by itsahoot (55 years a republican-Now Independent. Will write in Sarah Palin, no matter who runs. RIH-GOP)
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To: umgud

Went to Disneyland.

Looking for a supermarket we accidentally crossed into Garden Grove.

Never again. It is a Mexican war zone. Mexicans littering, shouting, dealing drugs, intimidating the gringos, etc.

And that was just in the Vons parking lot.


16 posted on 08/31/2015 7:53:14 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (The economic collapse is imminent. Buy staple food and OTC meds now, before prices skyrocket.)
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To: Tupelo

“All about revenue. Safety has nothing to do with it. That is just the propaganda for the masses.All about revenue. Safety has nothing to do with it. That is just the propaganda for the masses.”

And that is misprision in office. Every government official that condones it should be indicted.

Yeah—it’s illegal to use tickets as a revenue stream.


17 posted on 08/31/2015 12:26:42 PM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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