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.
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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 ...
That wasn’t their purpose.
Red light cameras aren’t about stopping accidents. They’re about generating revenue.
Reducing accidents was never the goal. Increasing revenue based on automated ticketing was the goal. The cameras actually increase accidents.
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?
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
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.
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.
/S
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.
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.
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.
Extra short yellow lights increase revenue to the government and rear end & other accidents.
Variable yellow light duration works even better.
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.
“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.
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