Tux of Borg Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/012...photo23-ON.html Cameras flashed hundreds of Loop 101 speeders in hours Carol Sowers The Arizona Republic Jan. 23, 2006 01:30 PM Photo enforcement cameras along a stretch of Scottsdale's Loop 101 flashed thousands of drivers Sunday in a trial run of the nation's only digitally patrolled state freeway. Officials couldn't say immediately how many of the 1,000 to 2,000 flashes caught actual speeders on Sunday, the first day of a month-long test which will result in only warning letters to lead-footed motorists. But beginning Feb. 22, drivers exceeding the 65 mph speed limit by 11 miles or more will be issued citations averaging $157. Mary O'Connor, Scottsdale's transportation boss, said the cameras on six locations between Scottsdale Road and 90th Street, may have malfuntioned. She said it is more likely that they also caught emergency vehicles legally allowed to exceed the speed limit. She said Redflex Traffic Systems, which also operates other enforcement cameras on Scottsdale streets, will "weed through the Loop 101 data this week to get a picture of how many people were speeding." Warning letters will be issued sometime after that. Arizona Department of Public Safety officers will continue their patrols of the Scottsdale stretch of Loop 101. Concerned about high speeds and rising number of accidents, Scottsdale received permission from the Arizona Department of Transportation to operate a nine-month program to determine whether the cameras reduce speed and collisions. When I lived in NC they had red light photo at a lot of intersections. The city let the company that installed red light photo, review, and fine those who were caught on camera. (the company and the city split the profits) I always thought it violated a person's right to due process. From the article, I guess this automated type of system is spreading through out the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick in* england Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Well I will say this: Automated Speeding Cameras have been used and operated by the police in the UK for a number of years now. They are universally despised in my experience and in a number of areas actually cause more accidents than they prevent where people speeding suddenly slow down for the camera (which have to be clearly visible and marked on the road). I've never been caught - but I've been flashed a few times, buit no ticket sent thru. They are basically an ATM for the police/county... If they get low on funds they just charge up the cameras, fill em with film and start printing money... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/012...photo23-ON.htmlWhen I lived in NC they had red light photo at a lot of intersections. The city let the company that installed red light photo, review, and fine those who were caught on camera. (the company and the city split the profits) I always thought it violated a person's right to due process. From the article, I guess this automated type of system is spreading through out the US. 583008[/snapback] Of course it is. It's a very easy and cheap way to raise revenue without overtly raising taxes and the by using the guise that it's about public safety (what a crock) makes it more palatable. I'm proud to say that the experiment failed in Alaska. It won't everywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 In San Francisco, they had a rash of pedestrians being killed by red light runners (something like 5 in 3 months). They put these in at certain intersections and none have happened since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buford T. Justice Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Three replies and no one has blamed the Patriot Act yet. I'm suprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/012...photo23-ON.htmlWhen I lived in NC they had red light photo at a lot of intersections. The city let the company that installed red light photo, review, and fine those who were caught on camera. (the company and the city split the profits) I always thought it violated a person's right to due process. From the article, I guess this automated type of system is spreading through out the US. 583008[/snapback] Hey, I'm going to stop off in NC in two weeks on my way to Atlanta for the Super Bowl. Wanna carpool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 ummmm, the superbowl is in Detroit this year...... Hey, I'm going to stop off in NC in two weeks on my way to Atlanta for the Super Bowl. Wanna carpool? 583343[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 In San Francisco, they had a rash of pedestrians being killed by red light runners (something like 5 in 3 months). They put these in at certain intersections and none have happened since. 583321[/snapback] Number one rule of statistics - correlation does not imply causation. Installing cameras did not necessarily result in pedestrians not being killed. Speeding does not in and of itself cause accidents, injury, or death. Unsafe driving, such as tailgating, passing on the right, etc, are what cause the accidents. If I'm driving 80mph on a 65mph highway, and it's a straight road on a clear day (which happens frequently here in the midwest), I'm not being unsafe and giving a ticket is not improving safety. Most people realize this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Last year, in an obvious revenue grab, Cincy's city council pushed for red light cameras - in the name of safety - despite plenty of evidence that they increase accidents as drivers hit the brakes and get flattened, and other towns that dropped them because of losing lawsuits. The outgoing Mayor ended up threatening to veto their bill unless they agreed that there was a police officer present at the chosen intersections. Ohio law requires that a policeman be present who can be challenged in court - not just an electronic device. They dropped it. Any municipality could be rolling in $$$ if they would simply hang out at corners and ticket the drivers who don't use their turn signals. Bars of gold falling from the sky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/012...photo23-ON.htmlWhen I lived in NC they had red light photo at a lot of intersections. The city let the company that installed red light photo, review, and fine those who were caught on camera. (the company and the city split the profits) I always thought it violated a person's right to due process. From the article, I guess this automated type of system is spreading through out the US. 583008[/snapback] My understanding of what I've heard talking to someone in Maryland about similar systems there (and those there can corroborate), is that catching the plate isn't enough, that the picture has to show the driver's face so that you can't claim it wasn't you who was running the red light. This, of course, leads to people putting newspapers, briefcases, etc, in front of their faces while running a red light. Yeah, tons safer. And I believe, like any other ticket, you can plead not guilty, etc... Another anecdote, I had a friend who had to fight against a similar system in New York City. They sent him a violation with a picture of "his plate" for proof, except he's never been to NYC in any of his vehicles (IIRC it was an OCR problem...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 My understanding of what I've heard talking to someone in Maryland about similar systems there (and those there can corroborate), is that catching the plate isn't enough, that the picture has to show the driver's face so that you can't claim it wasn't you who was running the red light. This, of course, leads to people putting newspapers, briefcases, etc, in front of their faces while running a red light. Yeah, tons safer. And I believe, like any other ticket, you can plead not guilty, etc... Another anecdote, I had a friend who had to fight against a similar system in New York City. They sent him a violation with a picture of "his plate" for proof, except he's never been to NYC in any of his vehicles (IIRC it was an OCR problem...). 583442[/snapback] When I lived in MD, the violation was on the CAR, not the person. As mentioned, one cannot be fined in the US without due process, but a car has no rights under the law. So, if ones car was caught by the red light camera, a ticket was sent to the registered owner, who was reponcible for the fine, whether he/she was driving or not. Also, their were no points given or anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 They are basically an ATM for the police/county.583010[/snapback] My office is in a suburb of Dallas. Every morning, when I drive to work I pass by a fire station. The fire station has a traffic light in front of it (specifically there for the fire station). For the street traffic, the light flashes yellow all of the time, except when the fire trucks leave the station on a call. When the fire truck leaves the station, the signal "trips" from flashing yellow to solid yellow, then to flashing red - forcing the street traffic to stop for the fire engine. 99% of the time, the light stays flashing yellow, so all of the cars on the street are used to the light flashing yellow all of the the time. What the local police do as a "revenue generator" is to park themselves in the fire station parking lot. Then, they will manually "trip" the light to turn yellow and red (no fire engine used), then catch the people who drive through the red light (and are not used to the light being anything but yellow). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 What the local police do as a "revenue generator" is to park themselves in the fire station parking lot. Then, they will manually "trip" the light to turn yellow and red (no fire engine used), then catch the people who drive through the red light (and are not used to the light being anything but yellow). That is DAMN shady... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Three replies and no one has blamed the Patriot Act yet. I'm suprised. 583335[/snapback] Or Liberals...always a popular target here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 ummmm, the superbowl is in Detroit this year...... 583350[/snapback] Damn those ebay Super Bowl tickets. I thought something looked strange about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Or Liberals...always a popular target here. 583602[/snapback] True...but only after they fire the first shot. May I assume we have passed over our late-night mutual electronic snit of a week or so ago?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 True...but only after they fire the first shot. May I assume we have passed over our late-night mutual electronic snit of a week or so ago?... 583614[/snapback] All good here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 In San Francisco, they had a rash of pedestrians being killed by red light runners (something like 5 in 3 months). They put these in at certain intersections and none have happened since. 583321[/snapback] People in SF actually bought that bullsh-- excuse for installing the cameras? It's a big city! How is 5 people in 3 months is a "rash"??? At least 5 pedestrians are killed in New York every month! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tux of Borg Posted January 26, 2006 Author Share Posted January 26, 2006 Hey, I'm going to stop off in NC in two weeks on my way to Atlanta for the Super Bowl. Wanna carpool? 583343[/snapback] !@#$... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 People in SF actually bought that bullsh-- excuse for installing the cameras? It's a big city! How is 5 people in 3 months is a "rash"??? At least 5 pedestrians are killed in New York every month! 583779[/snapback] They were specifically run down at crosswalks by red light runners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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