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Red Light Cameras

2K views 24 replies 19 participants last post by  F350 
#1 ·
My town is thinking about reinstalling red light cameras. I've read the arguments of them causing accidents vs being an effective tool to reduce red light running. The city removed them because they didn't like the money split with the original vendor.

What is the opinion of the LEOs on GlockTalk?
 
#2 ·
My city had them for a while but the courts forced them out. I don't run red light so they didn't bother me. The one shady thing they did do was shorten the timing of the yellow lights, I think that was the reason for the accidents. It was also taking officers off the street and overtime cost to process the tickets.
 
#22 ·
My city had them for a while but the courts forced them out. I don't run red light so they didn't bother me. The one shady thing they did do was shorten the timing of the yellow lights, I think that was the reason for the accidents. It was also taking officers off the street and overtime cost to process the tickets.
When I was in Columbia, MO the city announced they were going to install the cameras at certain intersections. I was sitting in the mall parking lot, not in the marked spaces, diagonal across several facing the intersection. I saw a cop pull in and came up next to me, drivers side to drivers side and roll down his window. He asked what I was up to, I explained that was one of the intersections that was getting a red light camera and I was timing the duration of the yellow lights. After the cameras went in I was coming back and re-time the yellow lights and if they were shortened I would file a lawsuit against the city and revenue splitting company.

After the cameras went in I did re-time the yellows and there was no change
 
#3 ·
They are a money grab, pure and simple; the companies who offer the sevice tout them as a revenue generator, and sometimes governing bodies buy into that ; this was the case in our area, where certain members of the county commission approved them to be installed; The agency was bound to enforce the county ordinance that was enacted to cover them (Florida law did not allow their use at the time so a normal moving infraction citation could not be issued) but no one at the agency was ever in favor of the programs....at the end of it, it wasn't preventing any crashes, it angered the public, it created traffic court related issues in terms of accountability (the judges in our area did not like the fact that the vehicle owner got the citation by mail rather than the actual driver being cited on the date of the violation in person) and in the end they were removed and the company that manged the software was sent packing;

Those of us in LE were glad to see the program go.
 
#5 ·
Not LEO but I don't like them. A picture may not lie. But it does not tell the whole story.
Few yrs back, major intersection in twin cities I am slowing to stop.
I look in mirror and see a larger SUV bearing down on me fast. I see I can make it, hit gas and ran light. That surburban was into intersection before distracted driver got it stopped. (blocking traffic)
I would have gotten creamed. (has happened to me once before) A camera would have just noted I ran light. Officer at scene "hopefully" would have looked at situation and allowed it.
 
#6 ·
We got rid of them in my area. I think one city still uses them. As an LEO, I'm glad to be rid of them. Crashes increased when they were installed. Everyone was slamming on their brakes as soon as they saw yellow. It's a revenue generator pure and simple.

When Cleveland first got them installed I had to transport a guy to the VA at 3 in the morning. On the way back, I blew every single red light camera on Carnegie Road and smiled for the camera each time and flashed it the bird. The company never sent tickets to my department.

I was expecting to be written up for that. It would've been worth it.
 
#8 ·
They got me going to the Cleveland Clinic in '07 while my grandfather was dying. The light was absolutely green when I entered the intersection.

I *****ed so much I never heard anything else.
 
#7 ·
I ride motorbikes full time so anything that deters people from punching intersections late is a good thing.
 
#11 ·
Red light cameras WERE not deterrents, the tickets don't hold up in court, and the only thing that will protect a motorcycle rider is an alert motorcycle rider.
 
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#10 ·
I look for oncoming cross traffic while stopped and when the light turns green. Not that hard to tell if they're going to stop. Especially in Detroit. People are notorious for still going through 5-10 seconds after it's dead red. People pause for a while at green lights as a result.

I look to see if traffic is stopped at all lanes when approaching a green light so nobody can time the light and cross at 40 the instant they get green or before if they mistime it, and see if someone behind me is tailgating and likely to blow a yellow light I might try to stop for.

I either stop, punch it if I can't stop, get through as soon as possible. The fools that drive 10 under the limit and mosey through the intersection when they had plenty of time to stop end up well into the red when they finally wander out into the intersection. I want to make sure if I have to go through on the yellow it's still yellow when I clear the intersection.

Randy
 
#13 ·
I am a police officer in Michigan with 26 years senority. Toledo Ohio Police use radar and traffic cameras. These cameras are not used in Michigan as it violates State Constitution, specifically the "Right to Free Travel.
Ohio can set up check points for things like impaired drivers and criminally offenders / escapes. Michigan cannot unless assisting Federal Officers.
I have spoken with Toledo residents and Police Officers. The ticket cameras are to generate revenue and eliminate police officers. Traffic violations tend to remain the same or slightly decrease. However, thefts, robberies and other violent crime increases.
So, you need to consider the demographics of the area in which these ticket cameras are installed.
 
#14 ·
Delaying the green light for 2 seconds would allow a driver that ran the red light to clear the intersection. This won't eliminate accidents but would drastically reduce them.

Taking away a driver's money because the city can't do proper signal phasing is not the way to solve the accident problem.
 
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#15 ·
...A picture may not lie. But it does not tell the whole story...
Marietta, Georgia installed them a few years ago...I was one of the first to receive said red light camera ticket (Cobb Pkwy and Windy Hill). The picture was really good...clear night, excellent picture of the driver, license plate, and vehicle. Unfortunately, it was not me or my vehicle. Seems the data entry person transposed a letter on the plate and my name & address came up.

I took a good part of my day waiting my turn in front of the city's version of traffic court to explain their mistake. The "judge" reviewed the picture, the DMV file info on my plate, the one in the red light camera photo, and concluded it was, in fact, the city's mistake.

While I paid no fine, the city (at that time) did not have a documented procedure for dismissing the ticket under the case of mistaken identity. I carry a copy of that ticket and red light camera photo with me to this day...just in case.
 
#16 ·
They are nothing but bandits with cameras. "They" say they put them in Interesections where there have been accidents? What a Laugh. They put them where they can generate the most revenue. I think they are a scam and one of the reasons I refused to be a revenue whore for the city I worked for.
 
#19 ·
Red light cameras are sloppy law enforcement. A small city here has them at a couple major intersections, citing safety concerns, even though there was no inordinate number of collisions caused by red light runners. Maybe no collisions at all with that as a primary collision factor.

I had a couple discussions with the sergeant who runs the program. He says the city loses money on them because they pay a flat fee to the company that runs the cameras and processes the tickets, and the fines go to the state. My response was why not have motors concentrate on those intersections if it's such an issue?

The majority of the residents and the city council (about seven people perennialy rotate among the five seats) love the image of law and order and strict compliance with traffic regulations.

I would love to see red light cameras and photo radar rendered useless by a court ruling that they violate due process and the right to cross-examine.
 
#23 ·
Red light cameras are sloppy law enforcement.
Red light cameras represent "privatizing law enforcement", and if I ever received a ticket from one of these things, then I'll be seeing them in court. Those companies are not deputized, nor granted the power of law enforcement, and as such, do not have the legal authority to issue me a citation.
Additionally, I spoke with a LEO once about an SUV that attempted to run me off the road... the LEO told me that in traffic, if the LEO doesn't first hand see the traffic infraction, that they can't do anything about it. One last thing, red light cameras have never been proven 100% effective.
 
#20 ·
They are nothing but bandits with cameras. "They" say they put them in Interesections where there have been accidents? What a Laugh.
If there are intersections where people are running the red light then there is an engineering problem at this location. That needs to be addressed.
 
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#21 ·
Thanks for the reply's. I've been asked to sit on a citizens advisory committee for the City's traffic engineering dept.

Since it's no surprise that as a city grows so do traffic issues. Our city is also starting to use traffic circles but have no clue as how to design one. Traffic lights on intersections where stop/yield signs would work and left lane red-light arrows which are fine during rush hour but are infuriating at midnight when you're the only bloody car on the road.

First World Problems? lol
 
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