A new poll. Speed Cameras

[AlaskaVX]

HEEE HEEE, Alaska has already banned those buggers! Took a whole 6 months or so, till the public said NO!

[CrnCnn]

I am of the opinion that they are good if they help catch a hit and run or something of that nature.

I guess they don’t always work? I have been in vehicles with people who ran a light and they never got a ticket and there was a camera.

[nfpgasmask]

There's a fair amount of research to indicate that red-light cameras are mostly a wash (some studies showing increased accidents, some showing a reduction) - and that far more accidents could be avoided simply by increasing the duration of the yellow light by just 1 second. Of course changing the timing on the lights doesn't increase revenues for the locals or for the traffica camera vendors.

That's the problem in Chicago. The lights change from green to yellow to red in like milliseconds. And because of traffic, the lights in the city cycle way faster that anywhere else I have been. AND, in most cases there are no green left turn arrows, and no turn lanes. So basically, if you need to make a left hand turn, the only way its gonna happen is if you sit in the middle of the intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to stop, and then roll through the yellow/red light. If done properly, this allows about one car to turn left on yellow each light cycle, but anyone who trains along will technically be running the red.

In my opinion, this system has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with safety, and EVERYTHING to do with generating revenue for the city...

Bart

[mdwyer]

On the other hand, I think it is "unfair" and "unsportsmanlike".

Unsportsmanlike? That sounds like that should be a lame reason, and yet when I think about it, that's pretty much my reasoning, too... If you're going to ticket me for an act that is so terribly rampant, you should have to work for it.

Lemme just say this, though: There's a special place in hell for the guy who passed me IN THE SCHOOL ZONE, IN FRONT OF THE ONCOMING AMBULANCE. Did he think I was pulling over FOR HIM?!

[etlsport]

That's the problem in Chicago. The lights change from green to yellow to red in like milliseconds. And because of traffic, the lights in the city cycle way faster that anywhere else I have been. AND, in most cases there are no green left turn arrows, and no turn lanes. So basically, if you need to make a left hand turn, the only way its gonna happen is if you sit in the middle of the intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to stop, and then roll through the yellow/red light. If done properly, this allows about one car to turn left on yellow each light cycle, but anyone who trains along will technically be running the red.

In my opinion, this system has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with safety, and EVERYTHING to do with generating revenue for the city...

Bart

yea cities are like that just because people are so impatient.. so if you ever get busted running a red light in a city.. 9 times out of 10 you can fight it by claiming the yellow light was not up to standard for the duration... i hang out with a bunch of civil engineers and they showed me all the calcs necessary... seen a couple of red light tickets go away from civil engineers showing these calcs to the judge

[tom4bren]

Eric, you'll ruin your reputation hanging out with Civil Engineers. Find a couple of EE's for drinking buddies.

My first couple of trips into Philly, I had to unlearn everything I knew about driving. Double (and even triple) parking is the norm and perfectly acceptable. Stop signs don't mean squat. Stop lights should be obeyed but only if there is oncoming traffic ... you get the picture.

[etlsport]

yea its true.. i have to relearn how to drive when i come down to maryland.. the philly stop (aka slowing down just enough to see that nobody is coming but never actually using your brakes) doesnt fly down here! they put red light cams in at one intersection in philly.. I heard they had caught 300 people within the first hour or two... they issued warnings and ditched the idea last i heard

[tom4bren]

Naw. My daughter was mailed a ticket from Philly earlier this year.

[VCAMILO]

I have asked cops here in Phoenix and they told me not to pay them. From what the cops said; it is not legal for a camera to serve you a ticket. They can mail you the ticket but you are a fool if you send the money in. In order for it to be a valid ticket a cop has to serve you. Meaning they have to find you at home or at work and hand you the ticket. Its the same deal when a plane catches you speeding on the highway. If you choose to take it to court both the cop that pulled you over and the cop that was in the plane have to appear in court.
My friend has gotten four red light tickets (stupid same intersection) in Scottsdale and she has not payed them in the last few years. Nothing has come over the mail and nothing has been done about it by the city. I believe they only have a year to serve you if you choose not to pay for it over the mail. So if i ever get one; IM NOT PAYING FOR IT. He also told me that in Scottsdale they only have about 3 cops driving to peoples house to re-issue the ticket. guess what! most of the time the person is at work and not home. :bwgr:

[tom4bren]

"I have asked cops here in Phoenix and they told me not to pay them."

Good luck with that. Imagine the 'nice' suprise when you find out that your license has been suspended for unpaid moving violations. Pleading ignorance will not work & the fines and interest have piled up. The icing on the cake will be that your insurance company found out your license was suspended and also suspended your insurance so now you have to pay uninsured motorist fees.

(start banjo pikin') If it weren't for bad luck ... I'd have no luck at all. (end banjo pikin')

The above happened to someone I knew. I'm not sure how much of it he was able to get out of.