hondaBeater

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/27/2713.asp


They increase the yellow light time so normal drivers don't accidentally cross on red.

number of Tickets go down.

The city decides to suspend red light light cameras because it's NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY.


WTF. They just admitted it's a ticket scam on motorist.


"Lilburn voted to accept the suspension to give Lasercraft time to come up with a plan to increase the number of citations. " :suprised:

Saki GT

Wow - good to at least see common sense kicking in with these ridiculous cameras.

Mark355

Drivers are an easy and convenient demographic for State and local governments to exploit for cash. New York is having everyone buy new plates at $25 a pop (double if you want to keep your current #) even though they're only 9 years old and still look fine.

Cameras, traffic patrol, fines, fees, and other shakedowns will only increase as the fiscal crisis for States worsen.

NuncoStr8

They tried that in Minneapolis. Same outcome. If they ever float the idea in your city, speak out against it. Public safety is not a revenue generator. Because it spawns numerous lawsuits it actually becomes a revenue drain.

Similar to emissions testing, red light cameras only make money for the companies selling them. Tax payers have no responsibility to provide corporate welfare to that kind of business. A business that actually supports the community and helps people, arguably. A business that cynically preys on a community, never.

NuncoStr8

Try living in Chicago. Can't get a phone hooked up without bribing someone, and you have to pay for a parking pass to park on the street in front of your house. Which they never plow, because you should own a shovel :/ And whenever there's a budget crunch, they ticket every day as if you have bottomless pockets and a choice in the matter.

There's a lot to love about Chicago, but the city services take their playbook from livestock - "serving" means "****ing." No, no bitterness here

Steponme

Regardless, cameras do deter people from running red lights. Not that I run red lights, but whenever I'm around them, I'd be extra careful; those suckers can go off on a whim. I had been ticketed for running a yellow light by a camera. I passed 3/4 of the intersection BEFORE the light even turned red. Well, they were successful at making money from me.

Christople

Those cameras are stupid

Wildncrazy

The cameras aren't stupid, being as they are an inanimate object, but the cities who authorize them are!

And the cameras don't deter people from running a red light any more (actually less if you'll read the article) than a clear and reasonable red/yellow/green cycle. It's not as if red lights are new and people don't know what to do.

[DT]

In our small little city I recently noticed them deployed at a couple of major intersections (they're actually big/long intersections so they are dangerous).

I once got a ticket (actually a warning) in the mail from the highway patrol about running a toll booth in my Supra. It was baffling since I hadn't been near a toll booth around that time and I always stop and pay. It even had a printed picture of my car!

Turned out it was actually the guys who were tuning it down in Orlando, on the 417 tollway! Bastards, I told them to pay next time

TheDonEffect

How fitting, I just got tagged with one of these on sunday. I can't argue that they're ineffective, break the law, expect to pay, red lights aren't new as mentioned above. The yellow was a long one, but I was coming down a hill, so it was either a screeching hault or just beat it. I went for it and lost, no one else to blame but myself. Hopefully I can still take the traffic school course to clear the point.
Lastly, I would glady pay the state 500 bucks for a moving violations per ticket so long as it doesn't affect my insurance (like make it so the first 2 within 18 mos you could pay that kind of fine to avoid insurance hikes) since most of the "bad" drivers tend to get tickets regularly anyway.